Conceptual model for concessioning in the Water Supply and Sanitation sector in Bulgaria

The purpose of this article is to create a new conceptual model for sustainable development of the water sector in Bulgaria on the basis of concessions by statistical regions according to the NUTS-2 classification of the European Union. The essence of the proposed model includes an approach for consolidating the existing 66 WSS operators in three WSS operators – concessionaires. The approach is applied to provide WSS services for drinking and household needs of the population. WSS services for the sectors – Industry, Services, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries remain outside the scope of the study. The proposed model is based on statistical analyses of the effectiveness of the WSS operators working by statistical regions and the state of the technical infrastructure they use. Such concessioning by combining one region from the North and South Bulgaria should help to overcome the existing disproportions in the social and economical development and its harmonization in the regions of Northern and Southern Bulgaria. Its implementation should create new opportunities for introducing foreign direct investment which will contribute to the sustainable development of the water sector in the country. The practical significance of the proposed model for overall concessioning of the WSS sector is for Bulgaria as well as for other countries with low and middle incomes. The model is a part of a comprehensive study of a scientific project, according to the Ordinance No.9 of the Ministry of Education and Science of 08.08.2013, with No.NPI-130/2014, on the topic: „The concession as a factor for development of the Water Supply and Sanitation sector in the Republic of Bulgaria“