Szombathely’s Wastewater Treatment Plant has been Handed Over20 October 2008
Ms Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Mr Gordon Bajnai, Minister for National Development and Economy, and Mr Imre Szabó, Minister for Environmental Protection and Water, handed over the renewed wastewater treatment plant - following a successful 6-month trial run - on 17 October.
The most significant investment implemented in Szombathely and its surrounding region, namely, the upgrading of the wastewater treatment plant, was completed with the help of funding granted by the European Union ISPA/Cohesion Fund. The various components of the sewage sludge treatment process were upgraded during the course of the development implemented with the help of EU funding, as a result of which the foul odours released into the environment earlier have considerably decreased in the area; moreover, the mechanical treatment equipment and installations were also renewed. The new compost plant was built and the reconstruction of the sewer system in the western part of the town was completed as a part of the development of Szombathely’s wastewater drainage and treatment system costing 4.35 billion HUF.
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Priority developments were carried out in three areas during the course of the implementation of the project. The first task involved extending and upgrading the wastewater treatment plant, since the sewage sludge treatment process applied at the regional wastewater treatment plant earlier was not sufficiently modern, which is why strong foul odours were released into the environment in the area, which have since decreased thanks to the developments that have just been completed. Equipment and installations used for primary level mechanical treatment were also in need of reconstruction. Among others, the following units were renewed: main sewer, central powerhouse, sludge distributor and meter chamber, sludge and slurry thickener, degasifying and surge shaft, sludge processing powerhouse, recirculation powerhouse. The new sewage meter chamber, the digester, a gas compressor powerhouse and a gas storage unit were built and two gas motors were also installed.
The other component of the EU project, namely, the development of the sewer system in the western part of the town, was completed last year. It was necessary to complete this because drains frequently flooded during downpours and foul odours were a problem in this area as well. A main sewer and pumping station were built and the reconstruction of the sewer system along a stretch over 4 km long was also completed.
The trial run of the third component of the project, namely, the new composting plant, is currently in progress, at which site sludge is transformed into valuable crop productivity enhancement substances, namely, compost, by using state-of-the-art technology. The environmentally friendly use of sewage sludge has been made possible at the site built on an area of 30,000 m2 next to the settlement of Nárai.
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The quality of life of 117,000 residents of 35 settlements will improve and pollution impacting subsurface waters will decrease as a result of the investment. The 4.35 billion HUF project implemented by the Municipality of Szombathely and 34 other local governments was financed by EU funding (60%), funding provided by the state budget (30%) and funding ensured by the project host local governments (10%).
According to the National Municipal Wastewater Drainage and Treatment Implementation Programme established in compliance with the EU Directive, by 2015, 100% of the wastewater collected in the network will only be let into the collection system after having been biologically treated and network connection will increase from the current ratio of 69% to 89% at a national level. The New Hungary Development Plan helps implement this programme, within the framework of which 361 billion HUF has been earmarked for funding wastewater drainage and treatment projects over the 2007-2013-period.