“More than 300 wastewater treatment plants are required in the country,” said the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Lilyana Pavlova at the opening of the scientific-practical conference “Challenges in the construction and operation of WWTP”. The forum, which was held for the second successive year in the Sofia “Sheraton” Hotel, was organized by the Bulgarian Construction Chamber (BCC) and the Bulgarian Water Association (BWA) with the media partnership of “Stroitel” newspaper. The BCC Chairman Eng. Svetoslav Glosov expressed hope that 2013 will be the year of making good projects and properly conducted tender procedures so that our country absorbs maximum financial resources from the EU funds. “It is nice to buy environmentally friendly vehicles, but it is better the resources from OP “Environment” to be directed to their direct purpose – the construction of WWTPs”, said in his address to the participants Eng. Svetoslav Glosov. In support of his words, Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Ivelina Vasileva was adamant that in the coming year in the country on a large scale will be built similar sites. She noted that it is planned in the next programming period settlements with fewer than 2 thousand people to have WWTPs. “In the water sector work should be coordinated and of high quality. BWA will help with capacity to be built all necessary facilities,” said the association’s chairman Eng. Ivan Ivanov. According to Minister Pavlova, in order to build the needed number of wastewater treatment plants, we need more specialists in design and construction and then in operation. “Average annually according to data reported, in our country graduates in water are about 40-50 people. This means that we have to address our colleagues from the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) to increase the number of students in this specialty,” she said. In her words, now there is coordination of the Ordinance for design and construction of WWTP, whose preparation began seven years ago. “I hope by the end of the year it will be a fact due to our joint efforts. The ordinance will frame the key parameters in the design and construction of wastewater treatment plants,” explained Minister Pavlova adding that she relies on experts from UACEG for the technical parameters of the document. “Everything will be within certain limits but with no specifics on the parameters so that we can be flexible to the developments in the sector,” she noted that her office and the Ministry of Environment and Water have already prepared a National Strategy for Management and Development of the Water Sector. “This is a strategic document that was missing. It outlines not only the long-term vision in the sector but also where and how to focus the resources from European programs and Bulgarian budget,” said the minister. According to her, however, except to WWTP attention should be paid to treatment plants for drinking water for solving problems in the field is needed an integrated approach. Water is a precious resource which we all need. Statistics show that in 2050 the world’s population will be 9 billion people, and the sources of clean water may not be sufficient,” added Lilyana Pavlova. In this connection, she proposed the conference next year to be dedicated to the entire water sector, not only to the construction of WWTPs.