The Ministry of Construction and Urban Development, Ministry of Finance and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement to build new wastewater treatment facilities in Uvurkhangai, Umnugovi, Dornogovi and Arkhangai provinces. The Ministry of Finance states that the project will require 21.7 million USD to build four new facilities with a treatment capacity of 3,000 cubic meters of water per day. The Mongolian government will invest 1.74 million USD, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will invest a million USD, and the remaining amount will be provided by ADB through a concessional loan with 25 years of maturity, the ministry reported. “We will build wastewater treatment facilities equipped with the latest eco-friendly technology in the four selected provinces with investment from the government and ADB,” noted Minister of Construction and Urban Development G.Munkhbayar. China’s IZEN International has been selected as a consultant to assist the preparation of tender documents for administration and execution of the project and Mongolia’s MonHydro Construction LLC has been hired as a subcontractor. The Ministry of Construction and Urban Development, Ministry of Finance and ADB plan to commence the project in the third quarter of 2017 and complete it before the end of 2018. According to the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development, new wastewater treatment facilities are urgently needed in Uvurkhangai, Umnugovi, Dornogovi and Arkhangai provinces as current facilities,  established between 1970 and 1996, are struggling to cope with the increased workload attributed to a growing population. Minister G.Munkhbayar disclosed that a team is studying opportunities to build wastewater treatment facilities in Bulgan, Dundgovi, Khentii, Khuvsgul, and Uvs provinces. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance stated that the ministry is conducting feasibility studies to rebuild or expand the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ulaanbaatar with associated agencies and that it hopes to finalize required financing and contractor within August.