For more than 130 years, the water supply and wastewater system of Pécs has served the city. While this long history is a point of pride, it has also presented serious challenges, as much of the network had become outdated, placing increasing strain on day-to-day operations.
Despite earlier improvements, the condition of the system made a large-scale modernization unavoidable. In many areas, extremely old pipelines were still in use, while elsewhere aging technologies no longer met modern standards. This led to a higher risk of failures, pipe bursts, and service disruptions. At the same time, rising construction costs made it increasingly difficult to keep up with the necessary upgrades.
To address these issues, a long-term, comprehensive development program was launched, focusing on the most critical sections of the network. Careful planning identified exactly where intervention was most urgent, ensuring that investments were made where they could deliver the greatest impact for the city.
Supported by European Union funding, the project covered several parts of Pécs, particularly areas where the network’s condition directly affected service reliability. In the city center and surrounding streets, pipeline replacements reduced the number of pipe bursts and lowered water loss. Upgrades near the Pellérd water base strengthened one of the city’s key water supply sources, while in the Postavölgy–Nagyárpád and Petőfi Street areas, heavily used sewage pipelines were modernized. These improvements reduced system failures and minimized problems caused by groundwater infiltration.
In total, more than 14 kilometers of water infrastructure were renewed. The results are already visible: services have become safer and more predictable, water loss has decreased, and the burden on the sewage system has been reduced. The modernized network also allows for more efficient energy use, representing an important step forward both economically and environmentally.
For residents of Pécs, these improvements are noticeable in everyday life. The upgraded system means fewer disruptions, more stable services, and a more reliable public utility overall—while also contributing to the long-term sustainability of the city’s infrastructure.
For more than 130 years, the water supply and wastewater system of Pécs has served the city. While this long history is a point of pride, it has also presented serious challenges, as much of the network had become outdated, placing increasing strain on day-to-day operations.
Despite earlier improvements, the condition of the system made a large-scale modernization unavoidable. In many areas, extremely old pipelines were still in use, while elsewhere aging technologies no longer met modern standards. This led to a higher risk of failures, pipe bursts, and service disruptions. At the same time, rising construction costs made it increasingly difficult to keep up with the necessary upgrades.
To address these issues, a long-term, comprehensive development program was launched, focusing on the most critical sections of the network. Careful planning identified exactly where intervention was most urgent, ensuring that investments were made where they could deliver the greatest impact for the city.
Supported by European Union funding, the project covered several parts of Pécs, particularly areas where the network’s condition directly affected service reliability. In the city center and surrounding streets, pipeline replacements reduced the number of pipe bursts and lowered water loss. Upgrades near the Pellérd water base strengthened one of the city’s key water supply sources, while in the Postavölgy–Nagyárpád and Petőfi Street areas, heavily used sewage pipelines were modernized. These improvements reduced system failures and minimized problems caused by groundwater infiltration.
In total, more than 14 kilometers of water infrastructure were renewed. The results are already visible: services have become safer and more predictable, water loss has decreased, and the burden on the sewage system has been reduced. The modernized network also allows for more efficient energy use, representing an important step forward both economically and environmentally.
For residents of Pécs, these improvements are noticeable in everyday life. The upgraded system means fewer disruptions, more stable services, and a more reliable public utility overall—while also contributing to the long-term sustainability of the city’s infrastructure.
The development was implemented from EU funding in the project KEHOP-2.1.11-21-2022-00014 under the Environmental and Energy Efficiency Operational Programme.
Find out more about the project in the Project Finder:Details
