Water supply and Sewerage and Public Works Directorate

Department "Municipal Projects and Public Works" 

Water Supply and Sewerage Department 

Department of Geoprotection
Head of Unit": Boryana Borisova

Functions of the Directorate:

1. Assists the Minister in the implementation of the state policy in the sector "Water Supply and Sewerage" (WSS) at national level;
   2. Carries out the administrative and technical services and expert support of the Council for Sustainable Development of the Water Supply and Sewerage Industry to the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works;
   3. Develops a strategy for the development and management of water supply and sewerage in the Republic of Bulgaria with the main objectives, priorities, stages and necessary funds and sources of financing for the construction and development of water supply and sewerage systems and for improving the quality of water supply and sewerage services; implement and coordinate an action plan for the implementation of the measures set out in the strategy and monitor and control its implementation;
   4. Develops normative acts related to the development and management of water supply and sewerage;
   5. Coordinates the planning and management of the water supply and sewerage systems at national level, coordinates the changes in the boundaries of the separate territories and prepares for publication in the State Gazette the decisions of the water supply and sewerage associations to change the boundaries of the separate territories;
   6. Provides methodological guidance for the development and implementation of regional master plans of WSS systems and master plans of agglomerations above 10 000 population equivalents, of WSS systems and investment programs to them; provides methodological guidance for the development and controls the preparation of pre-investment studies for regional integrated water and sanitation projects and other planning documents;
   7. Provides methodological guidance and coordinates the activities of the WSS associations;
   8. Provides methodological instructions to local and territorial authorities in connection with the strategy for development and management of the water supply and sewerage sector, planning and development of infrastructure, management, maintenance and operation of water supply and sewerage systems and provision of water services;
   9. Proposes for approval by the Minister short- and medium-term programmes for the study, design and construction of water supply and sewerage systems - public property, in accordance with the Strategy for the development and management of water supply and sewerage and the regional master plans of the water supply and sewerage systems of the respective separate territories and assists the municipalities in the implementation of their programmes under Article 10c(1)(1) of the Water Act;
   10. Provides methodological instructions, assists, coordinates and monitors the implementation of contracts between WSS associations and WSS operators in connection with the management, maintenance and operation of water supply and sewerage systems and facilities and the provision of services;
   11. Provides methodological assistance to the water operators on issues related to the implementation of water supply and sewerage projects and the provision of water services;
   12. Develops and implements measures for building and strengthening the administrative capacity of structures engaged in planning and development of infrastructure, management, maintenance and operation of water supply and sewerage systems and provision of water services;
   13. Communicates and coordinates with the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Central Coordination Unit Directorate in the administration of the Council of Ministers, the European Commission, international financial institutions, the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, regional administrations, municipalities, water operators and water supply and sewerage associations to implement activities related to the management and development of the sector;
   14. Creates and maintains a Unified Information System for WSS Services and a register of WSS associations and WSS operators and supports and coordinates the actions of WSS operators in creating, developing and developing WSS information systems;
   15. Establishes and maintains an information system for water management systems and facilities;
   16. Prepares and presents opinions, proposals and positions to the Minister in relation to strategic documents developed by other departments, institutions and structures concerning the development of the water supply and sewerage industry, the management, maintenance and expansion of the water supply and sewerage infrastructure;
   17. Plans and implements investment projects related to water supply and sanitation, financed by the state budget and by international financial institutions;
   18. Implements and coordinates joint programs and projects with other agencies and non-profit legal entities in the field of water supply and sanitation;
   19. Collects and analyzes information about the condition of the dams with priority drinking water supply and about the settlements with impaired water supply and problems with the quality of drinking water and provides it to the Minister in a timely manner;
   20. Coordinates the activities of collecting information related to water supply and sanitation in the liquidation of the consequences of natural disasters, accidents and catastrophes, as well as collects, analyzes and provides the Minister with the information collected;
   21. Provides information and publicity of the state policy for the development of water supply and sewerage;
   22. Participates in organizing and conducting tender procedures for the projects managed by the Directorate in accordance with the requirements of the Bulgarian legislation, the European Commission and the international financial institutions;
   23. Participates in the process of completion of projects financed by the Cohesion Fund under EU Regulation 1164/94;
   24. Carries out administrative, technical and financial management of projects financed by the EU and international financial institutions, in accordance with the requirements of the funding organisations and national legislation, including:
   maintain contacts with the relevant directorates in the administration of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment and Water, with the regional administrations, municipalities and water supply and sewerage companies on issues related to participation in the preparation, implementation, monitoring and control of projects managed by the directorate and financed by the EU and the international financial institutions;
   prepare progress reports on the projects implemented by the Directorate to the relevant European and national authorities and monitoring institutions;
   25. Prepares the necessary documents for the relevant units in the Ministry of Finance in relation to the projects financed by the EU and the international financial institutions managed by the Directorate;
   26. Provides conditions for independent verification and financial control by the competent national and international bodies of the projects managed by the Directorate;
   27. Assist the Minister in:
   a) implementation of the state policy for the development, management and safety of the municipal road infrastructure;
   b) organizes and coordinates the activities of the Conciliation Commission at the Ministry when considering disputes under Art. 10h, para 5 of the Roads Act;
   28. Assists the Minister in the preparation of proposals for approval of changes in the list of municipal roads under Article 3, paragraph 4 of the Roads Act;
   29. Carries out a complex of activities for registration and monitoring of landslide areas on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and of abrasion and erosion processes along the Black Sea and Danube coasts and for prevention of endangered or affected by them urban areas through state-owned geo-protection companies;
   30. Establishes and maintains a register of landslide areas in the country and areas with abrasion and erosion processes along the Black Sea and Danube coasts and carries out coordination between the different departments to limit landslides on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and to prevent accidents and damage through the state-owned geo-protection companies;
   31. Assists the Minister in issuing preliminary consents to requests for construction under Article 96(3) or (4) of the Spatial Development Act in registered landslide areas and prepares the draft preliminary consents;
   32. Plans and coordinates the implementation of investment projects for geoprotective measures and activities to limit landslides in the country, abrasion and erosion processes along the Black Sea and Danube coasts, which are financed by the state budget and other financial sources;
   33. Participates in the process of planning, technical and financial management of projects for geoprotective measures and activities as a beneficiary under Operational Programme "Environment" 2014-2020 and as an executive body under the European Union Solidarity Fund and communicates and coordinates with municipal administrations, etc. on issues related to the implementation of geoprotective measures and activities;
   34. Participates in the implementation of the decisions of the Interdepartmental Council on Border Control within the competence of the Ministry in accordance with the Regulation on Border Crossing Points adopted by Decree № 104 of the Council of Ministers of 2002;
   35. Participates in the development of normative acts within the scope of its competence;
   36. Assist municipalities in the development of settlements, as well as in the preparation and implementation of investment infrastructure projects financed with funds from the state budget;
   37. Creates and maintains an electronic database of the existing municipal road network and its status;
   38. Prepares answers and / or opinions on inquiries and / or proposals for urban development, geoprotection and changes in the list of municipal roads.