The Investment Programme for Municipal Projects allows us to invest in repairing the water and sewerage network without raising the price of water. This is how we can support municipalities, citizens and населени места, which are actually the most important. This was stated by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Arch. Ivan Shishkov, who, together with the Mayor of Peshtera Municipality Yordan Mladenov and the Regional Governor of Pazardzhik Borislav Bogoslovov, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the water main supplying the town of Peshtera. The project is being financed under the Investment Programme for Municipal Projects with more than €1.8 million. The water main is over 2.5 km long, and the project has been divided into three subsections. The implementation period is 90 days. Water supply will not be interrupted during construction; the new water main will be connected to the network only after it has been built.
The minister noted that at the end of 2025, the mayor of the municipality had requested to sign an agreement for the implementation of this project, but no agreement had been concluded. “Unfortunately, the previous governments in 2024–2025 did not sign the agreement for this water main. And it is extremely important. Thanks to the parliamentary group of “Progressive Bulgaria” and the efforts of the government, we made it possible for mayors who had submitted requests by the end of 2025 for such important projects to sign contracts with the state,” Arch. Shishkov said. He added that with the implementation of the project, Peshtera would receive drinking water with guaranteed quality and quantity. The minister further added that replacing the gravity-fed water main would reduce water losses, as significant quantities had been lost from the old pipe. In addition, the route of the new water main will run outside the road limits, so heavy traffic will not pass over the pipes and contribute to accidents. If repairs are nevertheless required, they will not lead to the closure of the road because the water main will already be within the easement. “A quality project always leads to a significant improvement in the operation and extension of the service life of any facility. Therefore, the thinking behind the project is extremely important. I congratulate the mayor because this is an exceptionally good solution,” the regional development minister commented.
In response to a journalist’s question, Minister Shishkov said that he signed contracts every day for the implementation of municipal projects. “It is regrettable that we have mayors of municipalities who did not dare to conclude agreements by the end of 2025. Obviously, they believed that with that state, that coalition-based government and the continuation of the coalitions, they could not count on agreements being signed. We are currently responding wherever we have the opportunity,” Arch. Shishkov further commented.
Mayor Yordan Mladenov thanked Minister Shishkov for the swift response and pointed out that this was one of the most important projects for Peshtera. “This will not only be a replacement of pipes, but also water and sewerage security for years to come. With this water main, Peshtera Municipality will secure its water supply for generations,” he said. He explained that the signing of the agreement secured funding for the reconstruction of the facility, which was affected by the flooding at the end of August 2026 and had begun causing problems with the water supply.
The town of Peshtera is supplied by several entirely gravity-fed water sources and two pumps for conveying the collected water to the pressure reservoirs and the street network. The largest gravity-fed water source is the Novomahlenski karst intake. The existing water main is made of asbestos-cement pipes that are heavily worn and frequently cause аварийни ситуации. The main objective of the investment is to make maximum use of the available gravity-fed water resources, reduce dependence on pumping facilities, limit electricity consumption, and ensure a reliable and high-quality water supply for the town of Peshtera. The water main is divided mainly into three sections of varying complexity, with the old water main to be replaced by high-density polyethylene pipes. New connections, water supply branches, inspection chambers, drains, air valves and shut-off valves will be built. A new overhead crossing for the water main over the Stara River is also planned, along with the construction of retaining walls and all the facilities required for the reliable operation of the water supply system.
The event was also attended by Members of Parliament Vasil Filev, Milen Trifonov, Dr. Georgi Petrov, Plamen Totev and Vaska Miltsova, as well as the Executive Director of “Bulgarian Water and Sewerage Holding” EAD, Eng. Venelin Shakov, among others.
Later, Minister Shishkov, together with the Mayor of Pazardzhik Municipality Petar Kulenski, Regional Governor Borislav Bogoslovov and Eng. Venцislav Angelov – a member of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency, inspected the bridge over the Maritsa River on the I-8 Sofia – Pazardzhik – Plovdiv first-class road. The facility, built in 1964, has not undergone major repairs to date and needs its technical and operational characteristics improved.