$3.16 MILLION USAID PROJECT FOR ARMENIA

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Aug 26 2009
Armenia

13:53 / 08/26/2009Today, August 26, U.S. Ambassador Marie
L. Yovanovitch, the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, Governor
of Ararat Marz Vardges Hovakimyan, representatives from the Armenian
government, the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), the Fund for Armenian Relief and the Armenian Water Company
joined the community members of Qaghtsrashen village to mark the
successful completion of the $3.16 million USAID Artashat Water Supply
Project and the official hand-over ceremony of three project-supported
daily regulating reservoirs to the Armenian Water Company.

By increasing the volume of water delivered by gravity flow from
Garni sources, which will be accumulated in new and rehabilitated
reservoirs and distributed through new water mains, about 100,000
residents of Artashat town and 27 surrounding villages will benefit
from significantly improved safe drinking water supply. The project
has also helped reduce energy consumption by eliminating the need to
pump water from the deep wells around Artashat.

The two-year project is currently USAID/Armenia’s largest capital
investment initiative. Project activities launched in May 2007 and
included installation of approximately 50 kilometers of new water
mains and distribution lines, construction of a new 4,000 cubic meter
reservoir and rehabilitation of two existing ones.

In her opening remarks at the ceremony, Ambassador Yovanovitch noted
the social and economic benefits of the project, which will now make
safe and clean potable water accessible to target communities in
Artashat. "I am confident that the project will significantly improve
the health and well-being of people in this area and will support the
Government of Armenia in its efforts to foster economic development
of the regions outside of Yerevan," she said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress