Length of sewerage, water supply, natural gas distribution pipelines, increasing in 2020 (INS)

The length of the potable water supply network in Romania increased by 1.8% in 2020 from the previous year, while the length of sewerage pipes was 4.7% higher, and the natural gas distribution network increased by 3%, according to data published on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

According to official statistics, as of December 31, 2020, the length of the potable water distribution network was 88,065.1 km, 1,546.3 km higher in the country as a whole than at the end of 2019.

The amount of potable water distributed to consumers nationwide was 789.980 million cubic meters, 17.813 million more than in 2019. Of this amount, potable water distributed for domestic use was 606.616 million, 76.8% of the total.

Also, the proportion of potable water distributed to consumers whose installations are equipped with water meters in the total distributed was 94.7%, with the difference in the amount of potable water distributed being recorded against an estimated system.

INS data show that in 2020 the activity sewage disposal from households and economic and social operators took place in 314 towns and cities and in 1,089 small towns, and the total length of the sewerage network was 42,168.3 km, of which 26,564.3 km in urban areas.

As against 2019, the length of the sewerage network was extended by 1,898.3 km (by 547.5 km in urban areas and by 1,350.8 km in rural areas).

Regarding the distribution of natural gas in 2020, the total length of the pipelines stood at 43,563.4 km, of which 24,188.1 km in towns and cities.

In the previous year, natural gas was distributed in 956 settlements, of which 247 in towns and cities, while the length of the distribution pipes was extended by 1,276 km.

At the same time, the volume of natural gas distributed at the end of 2020 was 8.738 billion cubic metres, 289.6 million cubic metres less than the previous year. Of the total volume of natural gas distributed, 3.444 billion cubic meters were for domestic consumption (39.4% of the total volume of natural gas distributed). Of the total volume of gas distributed, 87.5% were distributed in urban areas.

According to INS, the distributed heat was 7,227,208 Gcal, by 328,422 Gcal more than in 2019, of which 6,034,471 Gcal (+363,409) for the population.

The distribution of heat was conducted in 69 settlements in Romania, including 59 towns and cities.

As far as green spaces go, they covered 472,331 hectares in the urban area in late 2020, 1,631 hectares more than in 2019. In towns and cities, green spaces in the form of parks, public gardens, playgrounds, sports bases and facilities covered 29,136 hectares.