[Ulaanbaatar city, March 31, 2023] – The Chair of MCA-Mongolia Board of Directors and Deputy Minister of Finance S. Mungunchimeg and delegates visited the construction site of the Advanced Water Purification Plant (AWPP), located at the eastern foothills of Songinokhairkhan Mountain. The AWPP is part of the Downstream Wells Activity, one of the three inter-related activities to be implemented under the Bulk Water Supply Project funded by the MCC-Mongolia Water Compact.

During the visit, MCA-Mongolia Chief Executive Officer E. Enkhgerel and directors leading the three projects implemented under the MCC-Mongolia Water Compact provided detailed updates on the progress and unique risks for each project that MCA-Mongolia is working to mitigate and solve.

Mr. Serdar Hekimoglu, project manager representing "MAPA Inşaat Tijaret" of Turkey, construction contractor for AWPP, provided a tour of the project site and shared his perspectives on challenges and solutions.

 

The AWPP is one of the two large plants to be constructed under the MCC-Mongolia Water Compact, and will treat the water extracted from the new western groundwater wellfields to the drinking water standards of Mongolia. The treated water will then be delivered to the central water supply network of the capital city.

The current progress of the AWPP construction is at 30% and is expected to proceed as planned with testing and calibration scheduled in June 2024.

Once completed, the Downstream Wells Activity is planned to provide up to 50 million cubic meters of safe and high-quality drinking water annually to the central water supply network of UB, which will put the city on a better footing to sustain its growing population and future economic growth. Furthermore, it will also support the development of sub-cities and new settlement areas in the western region, as outlined in the 'Vision-2050' long-term development policy and New Revival Policy of the Government of Mongolia, facilitating decentralization of the capital city.

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This $462 million project is a partnership between the American and Mongolian people made possible by $350m in MCC grant funding and the $111.76m contribution from the Government of Mongolia which demonstrates their commitment to working together to achieve economic growth and poverty reduction in Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolia Water Compact is funding major infrastructure projects, including the construction of new wellfields and two large plants - an Advanced Water Purification Plant and Wastewater Recycling Plant which will be the first of their kind in Mongolia. In addition, the Compact will invest in policy measures to create a financially and environmentally sustainable future for the water sector of Ulaanbaatar. By 2026, the water system in Ulaanbaatar will have been expanded to deliver 80% more drinking water, allowing for the city’s future expansion.