Tigran Khachatryan says annual investment of AMD 3.5–4 billion cannot restore worn-out infrastructure and proposes additional supplies from Hrazdan, with work planned to begin in 2027.
Annual investment of AMD 3.5–4 billion is insufficient to bring Yerevan’s water infrastructure into proper condition, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan said during government questions in the National Assembly on October 28, 2026. Armenpress covered his remarks.
The state Water Committee and water operator Veolia Jur signed the water-system lease on 21 November 2016. Khachatryan attributed the infrastructure’s deterioration to investment mechanisms not being clearly provided for when the system was handed over to the company.
He said Yerevan already receives substantial water supplies, but a significant share is lost through worn-out infrastructure. Bringing in more water alone would therefore not solve the problem. The government had been working daily with Veolia Jur for 3 years to reduce losses, he said.
Veolia Jur’s lease includes drinking-water supply, wastewater services and a mandatory capital works programme—required spending on infrastructure. The Water Committee must oversee the company’s fulfilment of its obligations under the 15-year lease, Hetq said.
The state also took on investment responsibilities. A later draft amendment records that a December 12, 2018 agreement required the Water Committee to finance and implement an AMD 1.2931 billion investment programme by December 31, 2019.
On July 10, 2025, Armenia’s government approved a draft lease amendment and authorised the committee chairman to sign it with Veolia Jur. The draft says it takes effect when both parties sign.
That draft provides for joint capital works during 2025–2026 corresponding to AMD 6,909,250,000 in lease payments. Its work estimates include the existing mandatory capital works amounts for 2025, including value-added tax.
Strong Armenia MP Hayk Farmanyan asked for an update on a pipeline from a settlement near Hrazdan to Yerevan. He said the Water Committee chairman had assured him 4 years earlier that the pipeline would be built and that a design already existed.
Khachatryan said available water resources in Hrazdan could supply Yerevan through investment in 2 phases.
| Phase | Additional supply to Yerevan |
|---|---|
| First phase | 10 million cubic metres |
| Second phase, through continued investment | A further 20 million cubic metres |
Khachatryan did not quantify the total investment needed or the funding gap. He outlined the Hrazdan proposal without announcing programme approval, committed financing, a project budget or completion dates. He said the proposed work would begin in 2027.
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