Over 13.5 million people connected to public water supply network in 2018

In 2018, the population connected to the public water supply network accounted to 13.51 million persons, with the highest share recorded in urban area, 98.7 percent respectively, showed the data released on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). According to the INS data, at the development region level, the highest share of population connected to the public water supply network in total usually resident population was reported in Bucharest -Ilfov (86.2 percent), followed by South-East (81 percent). The lowest level of connection was reported in North-East region (48.8 percent), followed by South-West Oltenia (57 percent). In 2018, the population connected to the public water supply network amounted to 13,515,626 persons, accounting for 69.4 percent of Romania's usually resident population, by 285,927 more people that in 2017. Moreover, 10,342,627 persons from urban area were connected to the public water supply network, accounting for 98.7 percent of the urban usually resident population, while in rural area there were 3,172,999 persons connected to the public water supply network, accounting for 35.3 percent of the rural usually resident population. According to the statistics, in 2018, the volume of water supplied was 1.152 billion cubic meters, about 27.284 million cubic meters more than in 2017. Further more, the highest quantity of water was supplied to the population, 517.806 million cubic meters, respectively. Moreover, the highest quantities of water supplied were reported in the hydrographic basins Buzau-Ialomita (24.2 percent), Arges-Vedea (19.9 percent), respectively. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Badea, editor: Oana Tilica; EN - editor: Rodica State)