JERUSALEM’S WATER UTILITY SIGNS COOPERATION DEAL WITH LARGEST WATER UTILITY
IN ROMANIA

Following a Business Seminar on Water Management Led by the Israeli Trade
Mission in Bucharest, Contracts were Signed between Israeli and Romanian
Utility Companies. Israeli Commercial Attaché to Romania, Mr. Matan Safran:
“Israel’s Technologies in Water Management Are a Gateway to a Market with
Unlimited Potential.”

The Seminar, Hosted by Romania’s Largest Water Utility Operator, Raja
Constanta, included Israeli Companies Specializing in Water Management,
Water Technology as well as Officials from Both Countries. Twelve other
Water Utility Operators Attended the Seminar, All of Which Are Responsible
for Supplying Drinking Water and Sewage Treatment for More than 8 Million
People. During the Seminar, Raja Constanta Signed a Cooperation Agreement
with Hagihon, Jerusalem’s Water Utility, as Well as with Israeli Company
Utilis, which Developed Cutting Edge Technology to Discover Underground
Leaks via Satellite

JERUSALEM. May 30th, 2016 – As part of a business seminar led by the Israeli
Commercial office in Bucharest, the Romanian water corporation Raja
Constanta signed a cooperation agreement with Jerusalem’s water utility
Hagihon and Israeli water management company Utilis.

According to the agreement with Hagihon, professional bilateral delegations
will travel to both countries and Hagihon will help the Romanian company,
Raja Constanta, to prepare for various challenges – above all the reduction
of water loss. Utilis will help Raja Constanta identify underground leaks by
using its specialized satellite technology.

The seminar was held in Constanza, along the shores of the Black Sea, and
marks the peak of a process that lasted for six months. As part of this
process, the Israeli Commercial office in Bucharest worked jointly with
Israel NewTech at the Division for Foreign Investment and Industrial
Cooperation at the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Israel Export
Institute to identify the technologies relevant for the needs of the
Romanian water utility, including treatment of drinking water, identifying
and managing leaks, energy conservation, increasing the company’s efficiency
and more. A delegation from the Romanian company visited Israel in the
beginning of April and met with a large number of companies as well as as
the water utility corporations Mey Shikma (which operates in the Israeli
towns of Beit Dagan, Azor, Or Yehuda and Holon) and Hagihon (Jerusalem).

As a result of the visit, nine companies specializing in novel technologies
for water treatment, leak discovery and prevention, sewage, valves and
advanced equipment were invited to the seminar. Apart from the hosting
company, twelve other Romanian water utility operators attended, jointly
responsible for handling the water needs of half the Romanian population
(some 8 million people), as well as private Romanian companies in the water
industry.

The Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry’s Trade Representative in
Romania, Commercial Attaché, Mr. Matan Safran, said: “About half of Romania’s
population is not connected to central drinking water and sewage treatment
networks. As a result, the EU has earmarked €4 billion for the issue through
2020. €400 million was budgeted to Raja Constanta alone, Romania’s leading
water utility operator. In light of the demands and Raja’s key role, the
Israeli trade mission initiated contact and began a process that culminated
in this event. Exposing Israeli water technologies to the Romanian market
through this company is the entry point to a market with unlimited
potential. The massive presence of major local players at the event will
help leverage, I believe, the Israeli companies’ technologies for other
water utility operators as well. Signing an agreement of cooperation with
Hagihon will create a permanent ‘bridge’ for sharing information, knowledge
and technology between both countries. I would like to congratulate Hagihon
for their strategic overview and dedicated approach to this process. I am
certain that we can help more Israeli companies enter the Romanian market,
which is in need of new technologies, and embrace Israeli technology and
know-how.”

Adi Yefet, Head of the Water Sector at Israel NewTech, said: “This agreement
in Romania is one of many such endeavors conducted across the world with the
cooperation of the ministry’s trade missions and the Israel Export
Institute. This event is very impressive in light of the needs, potential
and funds Romania receives from the EU in the field of water management.”