The European Investment Bank is financing the development of drinking water and sanitation networks in the Portoviejo region in Ecuador. The EIB’s US$ 60 million loans to the Decentralised Autonomous Municipal Government of the Canton Portoviejo, part finances the construction and rehabilitation of water supply, wastewater, and storm water networks in urban and rural areas of the canton Portoviejo, province of Manabí.

The EIB loan will enable the construction of sewer networks, wastewater treatment plants and stormwater networks close to the coast. The modernization of water supply and sewerage systems in the region will lead to substantial energy savings, reducing water losses in networks and an improvement in wastewater treatment operations. This, also results in a long-term investment in the country`s resilience to pandemics such as Covid-19, as it provides steady access to clean drinking water.

The operation will be co-financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Spain’s Fund for the Promotion of Development (FONPRODE) managed by the Spanish Agency for International Development and Cooperation (AECID), and EU’s Latin America Investment Facility (LAIF).