The municipality of Kolašin will soon publish the so-called "preliminary notice of information" for the selection of the contractor for the sewage network, the design and implementation of the works on the waste water treatment plant (WTP) and the implementation of water supply measures, which is the first step towards solving the decades-long burning problem in that city. .
The Kolašin sewerage system is mostly built around the central square, and the number of residents currently connected to the network is 850, which is only about 10 percent of the total number of residents. It is estimated that there are about 1.300 individual septic tanks, and according to official estimates, 95 percent are not built according to standards, that is, they are water-permeable. The situation will be partially improved by the reconstruction of the hydrotechnical infrastructure in the streets of Boško Rašović and Milivoje Bulatović.
At the beginning of February, the cabinet of the then President of the Municipality, Vladimir Martinović, announced that the project envisages the construction of a sewage network in the center of Kolašin, the settlements of Dulovina, Breza and Smailagića Polje, with a length of 9,2 kilometers, the construction of a WWTP in the settlement of Bakovići with a projected capacity of 6.000 population equivalents (ES). .
It was explained that in the first phase, 4.000 ES will be built, as well as the implementation of priority water supply measures. The project is worth 11,9 million euros and will be financed from loans from the European Investment Bank and grants from the Investment Framework for the Western Balkans.
It was also explained that the project will "significantly improve the municipal wastewater management system, which will reduce the pollution of the Tara River and improve the quality of the environment in that municipality."
A public discussion on the Elaboration on Environmental Impact Assessment for that project was held a year ago, and the document describes in detail the current situation in the area of wastewater treatment in the area of the Kolasin municipality. For the first time, it was officially stated that the existing lagoons on the banks of the Tara, where all waste water from the city ends up, do not function properly, and possibly endanger the Tara as well. The lagoons were planned as a temporary solution, but they have been in use for more than 20 years.
"Currently, most of the waste water, without prior treatment, is discharged into local streams and the rivers Tara and Plašnica. Wastewater from the city's sewage system is discharged directly into the lagoons, which are located at a distance of about one kilometer from the city center in the area of Breza. The lagoons do not function properly because they are not lined, and the soil is permeable enough that any wastewater discharged into Lagoon 1 sinks into the ground. The exit from lagoon 1 to lagoon 2 is at such a level that waste water never reaches lagoon 2. The lagoon that is currently in operation has a layer of silt at the bottom with a thickness of 30 to 60 centimeters," says the Elaborate.
It was explained that "sludge goes through a fermentation process, which creates unpleasant odors and thus seriously damages the quality of the environment". The authors of the Elaborate state that the leakage of water from the bottom of the lagoon also creates "the possibility of potential contamination of the Tara River, which, as the ultimate recipient of waste water, is only about 25 meters away from the lagoon." In addition to significant pollution of the river, this also poses a threat to water sources downstream from the city.
Until 2012, 1,2 million euros were allocated for the construction of the WWTP in the municipality of Kolašin. Almost one million euros was a loan from the European Investment Bank, while 200.000 euros were provided for the development of the project from EU pre-accession funds. Due to the lack of money for construction, the people of Kolasin have been waiting for the WWTP since then.
Ten years ago, a Feasibility Study of WWTP construction was prepared. The conceptual project was prepared in 10, and three years later the WWTP Feasibility Study was updated.
Bonus video:
