Czech Republic will not meet EU norms for sewage treatment by 2010

The Czech Republic will not meet EU norms for water and sewage treatment facilities by 2010 as planned, Frantisek Barák, board chairman of the Association of Water and Sewerage Networks told journalists on Tuesday. He said roughly 25 percent of the country, including Prague, would be unable to complete the set projects in time to meet the deadline. The main reasons are a lack of funds and building capacities. Investors will have to borrow money to complete many of the projects, which will affect the price of water in the future. Mr. Barák said the price of water could double or even treble, in particular in smaller towns.