EXACT NUMBER OF YEREVAN POPULATION PROVIDED WITH 24-HOUR WATER SUPPLY
TO BE INDICATED THIS YEAR

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Thanks to pressure registering
meters (loggers) installed in December 2006, it will be possible to
clarify by May 31 of this year what percentage of Yerevan’s population
is provided with a 24-hour water supply. Director General of the
Yerevan Water Company Serge Popoff told NT correspondent that there are
many problems in the sector but the major one is related to old pipes,
which cause 60% of total water losses reaching 80% in the system. S.
Popoff said that in accordance with the company’s agreement obligation,
the total volume of water losses will be reduced to 50% in the 10 years
of lease – by 2016. The director general noted that Yerevan Water,
which leased on June 2006 Yerevan’s water supply and sewerage system
for 10 years, has assumed a number of important obligations, including
ensuring the continuity of water supply and the high quality of
supplied water, as well as improvement of relations with customers. S.
Popoff considered illegal water connections as another important
problem. As a result of several measures aimed at removing these
illegal connections or bringing them to the legal field, 1,400 illegal
water connections were legalized in September, October and November of
last year. It was mentioned that 700 million drams (about 1.9 mln USD)
will be invested in the system this year. A new water quality testing
laboratory will be put into operation in July-August. By late 2008 all
500 pumps in Yerevan yards will be replaced with new automated ones.
Special devices allowing to reveal flow losses will be installed as
well.