Derecske Waste Water Programme – Development for a more Liveable Future21 January 2009
The majority of residents in Derecske voted for the waste water programme. In less than two months, two-thirds of the residents of the settlement signed the declaration of intent on joining the Derecske Water Public Utility Association, which is in the process of being established.
In the opinion of Mayor Mr István Bakó, the town has every chance of being approved European Union funding in the second round to cover construction costs, owing to how a high ratio of residents are in favour of connecting to the network. At present, 12-15% of the households of the settlement with nearly 10,000 residents are connected to the network, which ratio can be increased to over 90% as an impact of the development; moreover, a new waste water treatment plant will also be built to replace the outdated one. Planned value of the investment: 3.3 billion HUF. If the settlement is approved funding in the second round, the investment is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.
The development of the sewerage network and the construction of the new waste water treatment plant may be implemented in Derecske with the help of European Union funding. The town was approved funding of 88 million HUF in value for project preparation in June 2008 within the framework of the Environment and Energy Operational Programme (EEOP).
Technical documents (preliminary and detailed feasibility studies) presenting the technical parameters of the investment were compiled and calculations presenting economical implementation were made (cost-benefit analysis) during the course of the preparatory work; the Development Directorate of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Water also provided assistance for completing these technical tasks during the course of the preparatory work.
Setting up the Derecske Water Public Utility Association was also a task in the preparatory phase. The residents of Derecske received information on conditions for membership and the rate of contribution at a public hearing and 7 residential forums held in November and December 2008. An organising committee comprised of 7 experts and representatives and a group with 26 members authorised to represent the organisation presented information on the Water Public Utility Association. The way in which two-thirds of property owners must back the plans constitutes a precondition for proceeding through to the second round (since this is the only way the settlement can be granted EU funding covering 85% of investment costs).
Total value of the investment: approx. 3.3 billion HUF
Number of properties to be connected: approx. 2800
Number of signed declarations of intent up to 12 January 2009: 1870
Residential contribution: 225,000 HUF
Background:
An official decision has been issued to shut down the current site. At present, the main sewerage network running through the settlement is less than 7 kilometres long, whilst the settlement has a population of nearly 10,000 residents. Derecske has for years been consciously preparing to implement this waste water investment. On the grounds of the public opinion survey conducted within the framework of the Town Development Action Plan compiled in 2006, it is fair to state that the residents of Derecske find solving sewage disposal the most pertinent task in the town. Plans were drafted and officially authorised for the construction of the waste water treatment plant and the development of the sewerage network back in 2003. The vast majority of residents also backed the investment in the preparatory phase of project implementation taking place at the time.
In addition to an approved Environmental Protection Programme and Town Development Action Plan, the settlement has also developed a Town Planning Plan. The earliest possible construction of the waste water treatment plant and the entire sewerage network is a key component in both documents.
Connecting 90% of households to the sewerage network of Derecske and the construction of the new waste water treatment plant, ensuring access to the approx. 10,000 residents of the settlement to modern sewerage utilities, are the objectives of the project envisaged to be implemented within the framework of EEOP. The investment also serves an important environmental protection goal. The waste water treatment plant and sewerage network to be constructed will fully protect the sensitive subsurface water resources of eastern Hungary around Debrecen, the only southern point of the region in which this has not yet been resolved. This investment is extremely important for all of us, since it will help save our drinking water supplies and land from pollution and the ground water level will also drop significantly as an impact of the investment.
Derecske will be submitting their application in the second round for implementing the project costing a total of 3.3 billion HUF in February 2010.