Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining. I am Marta Kuningas, the Communication Specialist in Tallinna Vesi, and I welcome you all to today's webinar. This webinar will be hosted by Aleksandr Timofejev, CEO, and Taavi Gröön, CFO. Firstly, Aleksandr Timofejev and Taavi Gröön will introduce the highlights of the second quarter of 2023. The presenters will also speak about Tallinna Vesi operational and financial results of 6 months. Aleksandr will give an overview about some of the investments made in the second quarter of 2023. Right after the presentation, you will have the opportunity to ask questions. It is also possible to type in your question during presentation, but these will be answered in the end part of the webinar. To submit your questions, please use the chat box. Now, I will hand over to Aleksandr and Taavi. Here you go.
Good morning, everybody, and welcome to our webinar. The company's financial and operational results of second quarter are very good. Together with Taavi, we will cover them during this meeting. There have been no working incidents in the company during second quarter. Our teams work a lot to keep safety on our sites. Tallinn Water has entered into the loan agreements totaling EUR 131 million. EUR 40 million loan agreement was concluded with the Nordic Investment Bank. A syndicated loan agreement in the amount of EUR 91 million was concluded with SEB Bank, Swedbank, and OP Corporate Bank. The signed loan agreements will finance Tallinn Water investments in the years 2023, 2024, 2025. The company's investments will amount to EUR 35 million in 2023 and will be based on the company's business plan.
We aim to grow investments into fixed assets to secure a sustainable infrastructure and continuity of the service. In 2023, we already invested EUR 10.4 million in our capital assets. Company reconstructed over 14 kilometers of water and wastewater pipes. By the end of the year, we plan to renovate over 25 kilometers of our networks. In the 6 months of the year, the quality of the tap water was excellent, with all the water samples taken meeting the strict standards for water quality. Wastewater treatment at Paljassaare Wastewater Treatment Plant outperformed all legal requirements as well. Tallinn Water operates today over 40 public water taps in Tallinn. We offer free of charge drinking water at all big public events in Tallinn. In June, we provided more than 100,000 liters of drinking water at 30th Song and Dance Celebration in Tallinn.
This year, in addition to the usual maintenance work, we started cleaning the water pipes by using a modern ice pigging method that is still very new to the Nordic countries. During six months, our teams cleaned over 70 km of water pipes with ice. This is 50% of the annual plan for this year. Ice pigging technology was introduced to other water utilities by Watercom at the Baltic Water Utilities Conference in May. This year in May, the company was certified with a new ISO standard, 27001, for information security management systems. Now, we go to the operational update. As I said before, the second quarter's performance was very good. The quality of drinking water in Tallinn was excellent, being 100% compliant with all the requirements valid in Estonia.
Company took 1,572 water samples from customers' taps during first 6 months. Top-level tap water was ensured by an effective water treatment process, continuous preventive maintenance works in the water network, and investments made in the recent years in the water pumping stations. Wastewater process at Paljassaare Wastewater Treatment Plant guarantees a high level of quality as well. Treated wastewater was fully compliant with all the requirements. The significantly lower indicators of pollutants are the proof of excellent quality of effluent discharge to the Baltic Sea. During the first 6 months of this year, Paljassaare Wastewater Treatment Plant helped to reduce Baltic Sea pollution a lot. 355 tons of screenings, almost 90 tons of sand, 940 tons of nitrogen, and 126 tons of phosphorus was taken out from the wastewater during the treatment process.
The level of water losses is low as well. In the second quarter, it was 13.62%. We always try to minimize disturbance of our customers and do everything to keep water supply 24/7. The average water interruption per property lasts 2 hours and 29 minutes, which is shorter than last year. In terms of enhancing the reliability of water supply service to our customers, within the six months, we have reconstructed over 14 kilometers of pipes. A lot of sites have been rehabilitated using no-dig method. Our goal is to deliver high-quality service to our customers, and within six months, our customer satisfaction was 4.0 out of 5. Average customer service score was affected by the feedback regarding self-service and the network's activities in the second quarter, especially by the emergency at Rägu Street.
If we move on to investments, I have to mention that Tallinn Water provides water services for half million of consumers. It is very important for us that we deliver stable and quality water service to all our customers. By the end of second quarter, 2023, we carried out investments projects for EUR 10.4 million. This year, works will continue on Vana-Kalamaja, Jõe and Pronksi streets. Rehabilitation of pipelines has already started on Rahakooli Road, Rebase and Naritsa streets, Punane, Smuuli streets in Lasnamäe, using no-dig methods in the Mustamäe area to minimize the disturbance for local citizens and traffic. Our capital investments into the network ensure uninterrupted water and wastewater services and the reliability of water supply to consumers also in the future. At the water treatment plant, the reconstruction works are currently underway on the filters.
Shortly, we start with the reconstruction of the switchboards. Preparations are ongoing for the reconstruction of the clarifiers and the fish ladder in Vaskjala. Reconstruction at Paljassaare Wastewater Treatment Plant of digesters, installation of a cogeneration plant, and reconstruction of aeration tanks are ongoing. Major design contracts have been concluded for design of the screens at the wastewater pumping station and the reconstruction of the screens at the wastewater treatment plant. All these investments will help to improve our main processes and will keep Baltic Sea cleaner. Now, I will give over to Taavi, who will go into details about the financial results. Thank you.
Thank you, Aleksandr. Now to a short overview of our financial performance in the second quarter of 2023. First, starting off with a quick comment on latest economic forecast. SEB Bank finds that the Estonian economy is performing adequately overall, though the challenges have hit different sectors quite differently. GDP at current prices has shown, has grown by around 30% over the past two years, but that the real values, the economy has been shrinking steadily for more than a year. Economic growth should start to recover in the second half of the year, and the inflation is expected to continue its downward trajectory. It was down close to 9% in June, which is mainly a consequence of the leap in the first half of the last year.
The falling tendency, but continued high level of inflation, will also have impact on our financial performance. The gross profit for the second quarter in 2023 was EUR 5.8 million, recovering by 31% compared to same period last year. The gross profit recovery is primarily impacted by higher sales revenue and the underlying price adjustment caused by increase in cost of goods and services sold. The operating profit in Q2 was EUR 4.1 million, EUR 1.1 million higher than in the same period in 2022, being positively impacted by recovery in the gross profit, partly set back by higher administrative and marketing expenses. The net profit of the company in Q2 amounted to EUR 2.3 million, EUR 1.4 million above the same period in 2022.
Beyond changes in operating profit, the bottom line was impacted by increase in interest expenses and lower dividend related tax costs. Now let's take a look at changes in revenue and expenses in more detail. The total sales revenue for the second quarter of 2023 increased by 18%, amounting to EUR 15.4 million. In Q2, the total revenue from water services increased 15% or EUR 1.8 million compared to the second quarter of 2022. Increased sales were a result of adjusted water prices from October 1, 2022. Price adjustment, as mentioned, was prompted by higher costs.
In the second quarter, the private customers' revenues in main service areas increased compared to the same period in 2022 by 23% to EUR 6.2 million, reflecting the change in water price, water services prices. Commercial customers' revenues in main service area increased compared to the same period by 4% to EUR 4.4 million, driven also by price adjustments, primarily. Construction services showed in the second quarter an increase of over 2 times, amounting to EUR 1.4 million. The quicker pace of projects and increased revenue was, has mainly been due to projects continued from previous year. Accordingly, construction services costs were also higher. Next, let's continue on to costs.
The total cost of goods sold increased by 12% or EUR 1 million in the second quarter, amounting to EUR 9.6 million. Total direct production costs decreased in the second quarter by 4%, or EUR 0.1 million, primarily due to lower electricity prices, but set back by increased chemical costs. The second quarter of 2023 construction services cost increase in line with the revenue buy 2x to EUR 1.0 million and as mentioned related to higher services, construction services revenue stock cost increase by 19% to EUR 2.5 million the primary effect influencing the cost increase was labor cost 1.5 salary adjustment accompanied by new higher- depreciation increased by 22% to EUR 1.7 million due by higher investments made in 2022 and 2023 administrative and marketing expenses increased in the second quarter by 19% to EUR 1.5 million driven by salary and profession services cost.
Now let's continue to cash flows as of 30th of June this year the company's cash balance is at EUR 13 million forming 5% of total assets compared to the last quarter the cash balance has significantly changed increased by 0.1 million euros. The biggest contributions to the cash flows comes from the main operations first half of 2023 total operating cash flow amounted to EUR 11.5 million it is EUR 2.3 million higher than compared to last year. The company's collection of a receivables continues to be high I think 99.8% on average. The net cash flows from investing activities during to six months of 2023 amount, resulted on a cash outflow of EUR 8.7 million which is EUR 2.6 million more than in the period last year.
During the first half of 2023 the company- the company finance in cash flows amounted to EUR 2.4 million which is EUR 12.8 million lower compared to the same period last year. This feat was influenced by reduce dividends and increase depth and that's under mentioned during the second quarter the company entered to loan agreements and established financing structure to support our investment plans for the coming years and design agreements in compass of the refinancing a part of existing debt in the amount of EUR 37.5 million. This concludes my shorter review. Thank you very much for you time.
Thank you for the presentation. Now we will proceed with the questions, you will now have few minutes to submit your questions. Please feel free to type in many questions you might have.
Seems like we don't have any questions. Recording of the presentation will be available in the Tallinna Vesi YouTube channel webinar playlist shortly. Presentation materials and reports can be found on Tallinna Vesi, Tallinna Vesi webpage. Taavi Gröön and Aleksandr Timofejev, thank you for the overview, and thank you all for joining. Have a good day!
Thank you.