After a process lasting several months and begun in 2019—including an audit, valuation, obtaining the shareholders’ consent to accept the new area, and talks with the municipal authorities—approval was obtained to begin operating in the town and municipality of Wleń. Representatives of the company attended the press conference: PWiK president Józef Król, director Grzegorz Kozłowski, Bolesławiec president Piotr Roman, mayor of the town and municipality of Lwówek Śląski Mariola Szczęsna, mayor of the town and municipality of Wleń Artur Zych, as well as commune head Andrzej Dutkowski and Supervisory Board chairman Sławomir Grzesiak.
“After 27 years, we have returned to Wleń, taking responsibility for the security of water supplies, understood as continuous, uninterrupted delivery with quality control and assurance,” says president Józef Król. “Water is life, and good water means health. Wleń has very good water with inexhaustible reserves. To fully benefit from its qualities, the entire infrastructure connected with its extraction, treatment and distribution must be taken care of. The same applies to wastewater collection and treatment. We have carried out a detailed audit, we know what needs to be done, and we have also estimated the costs. We face a major challenge, but we know we will meet it because we have the potential and experience,” the president adds.
In 2014, the company entered Lwówek Śląski, where it encountered a situation similarly difficult to that found in Wleń in 2019. Time has shown that the company has the resources and qualified staff to operate effectively under a variety of conditions. In Wleń, a series of repairs, upgrades and investments will be necessary, along with far-reaching organizational changes. At present, 50% of the water disappears from Wleń’s network without trace; in Lwówek, the figure was 60% in 2014, while today, after six years of PWiK operations, it is only 8.5%.
“Even before officially taking over the responsibilities, we undertook many preparatory activities,” Józef Król said at the conference. “First, we prepared digital maps of all water-supply and sewer networks and the equipment connected with them in Wleń and the surrounding localities. Based on the technical audit, the objectives and tasks were precisely defined, and a plan for the next four years was prepared. We have already begun monitoring the operation of strategic water-supply and sewerage facilities. We have developed a concept for modernizing the water intake and treatment plant, as well as a concept for modernizing the wastewater treatment plant in Wleń. Since January 7, the Customer Service Office has been operating after a comprehensive renovation, as has the water emergency telephone line, 994,” the president adds.
Piotr Roman, who attended the conference, added that Wleń was destined for success with a partner such as PWiK.
“This is not a zero-sum game; everyone wins here,” the president added. “For some time, I have been observing the actions of Wleń’s mayor, and I think that the people of Wleń are now experiencing a good period, judging by the development of the old town and tourism. Based on our experience in assessing these tasks, we know that infrastructure-related measures are essential, and water and wastewater services are fundamental. We know that without putting water and wastewater matters in order, there would be no development and no new jobs. Water and wastewater are fundamental issues, and I am very pleased. This is very good news for the residents of Wleń, because indirectly they become shareholders in a very good company. PWiK is a guarantee that residents’ expectations will be met and, at the same time, a powerful engine for development,” the president added.
Mariola Szczęsna confirmed this. “You have an excellent partner; congratulations. I know this from experience, looking at my municipality—it is a very good step,” the mayor of Lwówek Śląski told the mayor of the town and municipality of Wleń.
The mayor of Wleń spoke about how his decision to partner with the company came about.
“At one of the local-government meetings, when we were discussing my problems with transportation and the water supply system, Piotr Roman suggested that I cooperate with the Bolesławiec-based company,” Artur Zych recounted. “I liked the proposal because I was already familiar with the company’s good reputation.”
“At the right time, I asked for Wleń to be accepted into this distinguished group. I am very grateful, because I know that the quality of PWiK’s work and service to residents is very high. This gives us tremendous prospects for the success of the undertaking,” the mayor added.
The long-term plan for the development and modernization of water-supply and sewerage facilities in the area served by the town and Municipality of Wleń for 2020–2023 includes all investment projects to be carried out by the company and the Town and Municipality of Wleń in the coming years. These investments will be financed with external funding, including grants and loans, the company’s own funds, and funds from the Town and Municipality of Wleń.
The most important works, from the perspective of ensuring continuity of water supply, wastewater collection and treatment services, will be carried out first. The company will modernize the water intake and treatment plant in Wleń, as well as the wastewater treatment plant. The preliminary documentation prepared for both investments already makes it possible to submit an application for funding from the European Union and the Regional Operational Programme of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
As of January 1, 2020, new water and wastewater tariffs approved by the Państwowe Gospodarstwo Wodne, Wody Polskie, apply in the Town and Municipality of Wleń. The new water price increased from PLN 5.14 to PLN 7.13 per cubic meter (1,000 liters), while the wastewater price remained unchanged at PLN 7.28 per cubic meter, making a total of PLN 14.41.
“The water supply and wastewater disposal service should be considered as a whole, so prices increased by 16% compared with last year,” Józef Król explained. “It is worth mentioning here that the Council of the Town and Municipality of Wleń maintained subsidies for water and wastewater, so in reality residents will pay PLN 12.90 per cubic meter for water and wastewater,” he added.
Both the water and wastewater prices include the company’s own contribution to investment financing. This means that, for an increase of less than PLN 2 per cubic meter of water, residents receive a guarantee of the rapid implementation of a programme to significantly improve the security and quality of services in a strategic area of municipal operations. The benefit for the company’s existing customers in the Bolesławiec and Lwówek Śląski areas amounts to approximately PLN 270,000 per year.