2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

ALBANIA PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Albania
Economics (2002)
GDP per capita US$1,300
GDP per capita (PPP) US$3,860
GDP in Agriculture 25%
GDP in Industry 19%
GDP in Services 56%
Water and sewerage infrastructure
Water and sewerage services are managed by the Ministry of Public Works, Territory Adjustment and
Tourism and the Committee of Environmental Protection and the National Water Committee. 40% of
households do not have basic sanitation while less than 50% of urban or rural water supplies are
considered to be satisfactory. At present, all sewage effluents are untreated and leakage from
sewerage systems is known to be affecting drinking water supplies. Water quality related epidemics
such as cholera and poliomyelitis have occurred in recent years. Untreated effluents are also used
for irrigation, affecting the soil quality, and leading to health problems.
Tirana’s population rose from 150,000 in 1991 to 523,000 in 2001. Without a commensurate
development in its infrastructure, the city receives drinking water for 4-6 hours per day and has a
single wastewater treatment work "which was" built in 1962 with a design capacity of 200,000.
Durres, Albania’s second city (160,000) had no wastewater treatment facilities in 2001. Distribution
losses are in the region of 60%.
Population
2002 (million) 3.2
2015 (million) 3.4
Urbanisation in 2003 44%
Urbanisation by 2015 52%
In urban agglomerations, 2015 0%
Privatisation plans
There are 54 water supply enterprises, of which eight were understood to be covering their costs in
2003. Since 2000, 40 of the entities have been corporatised. The corporatised entities are regulated
by the Water Supply and Sanitation Regulatory Commission, with the remaining entities classified as
state enterprises managed by the Ministry of Territorial Adjustment and Tourism.
In 1999, the EU’s PHARE programme supported the design and construction of a wastewater
treatment plant for the cities of Vlora and Pogradec, as well as wastewater treatment plants and
drinking water supply for Saranda. Between 1999 and 2001, €205 million was invested in projects by
the international community. The EU’s PHARE programme has concentrated on sanitation
rehabilitation, with investment more biased towards water provision and treatment from country
donors. Legislation transferring responsibility for water supplies to communes and municipalities and
allowing PSP was enacted in July 2000. Additional resources will be required to rehabilitate water
supply systems in areas other than Tirana and Durres, and to improve sewerage systems throughout
the country. In 2003, the World Bank approved a US$15 million Municipal Water and Wastewater
Project to support the government's efforts to implement institutional and financial reforms in the water
supply and sanitation sector.
Management contracts
In 2003, Berlinwasser International (60%, VE and RWE) and Aquamundo (40%, Amiantit of Saudi
Arabia) gained a five year €4 million contract to take over management of water supply and
wastewater disposal in the Albanian towns of Durres, Fier, Lezhe and Saranda, serving 450,000
people. Aquamundo also operates the drinking water and wastewater disposal services in the town of
Kavaja, with 77,000 inhabitants. Berlinwasser has a 30 year water and wastewater concession for
the town of Elbasan.
50 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006