WATER Affairs Minister Kader Asmal will on Tuesday open a R220-million rural water and sanitation project for the Northern Province. The launch follows trade and development agreements signed on April 6 by European Union ambassador Michael Laidler and Deputy Finance Minister Gill Marcus. The project will concentrate on the southern, western, central and Lowveld districts of the province, but the launch will be at Windhoek village in the Pietersburg area. Northern Province water affairs spokesman Phuti Seloba on Wednesday said R200-million would be used to increase the capacity of 15 water and four sanitation projects. The other R20 million is for development planning and emergency renovations. The project will provide drinking water for an extra 740 000 people in the province.