RECONSTRUCTION OF WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM OF TOWN AND NEARBY 4 VILLAGES , REPUBLIC OF

ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING REPORT

2012

Reconstruction of water supply system of town Masis & nearby 4 villages Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

Table of Content

ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING ...... 3

1.1 Scope of work ...... 3

1.2 Brief description of the operating water supply and wastewater system ...... 4

1.2.1 External water supply system ...... 4

1.2.2 Water supply distribution network ...... 5

1.2.3 Wastewater system ...... 6

1.3 Geographical location and climate of the residential areas ...... 6

1.4 Environmental screening ...... 7

1.5 Environmental impact ...... 8

Reconstruction of water supply system of town Masis & nearby 4 villages Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING

1.1 Scope of work

The goal of this project is improvement of drinking water supply to town Masis and villages Ayntap, , , , Arbat, and Azatashen. To achieve this goal works in two directions are planned under the preliminary design:  improvement of external water supply system  improvement of the internal networks of the settlements. The external system improvement works include:  improvement of sanitary zones of 4 flowing artesian wells, repair of well houses, replacement of technological elements and installation of water meters,  repair of the store part of the new Masis PS building and improvement of the area,  reconstruction of the sanitary zone of the Kharberd DRRs, replacement of the DRRs’ covers, SAFs and manholes, diking the reservoirs, as well as repair of the dry chamber with replacement of technological elements and construction of water metering node,  replacement of about 2.5km long emergency segment of the water main supplying Masis town,  lay a new about 1.4km long water pipeline from Kharberd DRRs to village Ayntap,  constructing a new 0.9km long polyethylene pipeline to take the inlet line of village Hayanist out of the residential area of village Darbnik,  constructing about 0.94km long new inlet line to take the water main supplying village out from green houses and privatized lands. The works for renovation of the internal water supply networks of the settlements include:  Construction of water lines of distribution network,  Construction of water metering nodes of the customers and inlet lines of private houses,  Construction of fire hydrants,  Construction of buried valve nodes,  Construction of water supply chambers. As a result of the project implementation it is planned to provide drinking water supply to the above mentioned settlements and improve water distribution and metering systems. Reconstruction of water supply system of town Masis & nearby 4 villages Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

1.2 Brief description of the operating water supply and wastewater system

1.2.1 External water supply system

Water supply to town Masis and 7 villages of the region is carried out from the new pumping station constructed within the area of Araratyan I and II stage pumping station, which in its turn receives water from artesian wells at 6.0km distance (with total discharge of about 500l/s). From the artesian wells water is supplied to a general collecting water main through which water is supplied by gravity to the reservoir constructed nearby the new pumping station, where chlorination takes place. All of the operating 4 artesian wells are in poor condition, buildings are in emergency situation, all valves need replacement, sanitary zones are missing or in a sad condition.

Figure 1. Sanitary protection zones of artesian wells

Masis I, II stage pump station is newly built, the pumps are new. On each of the water mains emerging from the PS electromagnetic flow meters are installed. Only the PS area needs improvement. Kharberd two DRRs are located at 915.0m altitude, upward village Kharberd. The DRRs cover an area of about 1.5 ha, with its borders stretching at 900.0÷910.0m altitudes. The area is fenced and is in a good condition. The general condition of the DRR structures can be considered satisfactory. Only the cover, manholes and SAFs need replacement. The DRRs are partially diked; in some of the open segments of walls concrete is destroyed and reinforcement is corroded’ soil-vegetative layer on the DRRs is 15-20cm thick (see Fig. 9). The pipes supplying the DRRS is in a normal condition The dry chamber of the DRRs is in a normal condition; however all the valves and pipes need replacement. The distribution node also needs repair. DRR is newly built. Within its area there is a new pump station with 3 pumps. Reconstruction of water supply system of town Masis & nearby 4 villages Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

Presently almost entire town Masis receives water from Kharberd DRRs , except Kayaran district, water supply to which is implemented from the pressure pipeline from Masis newly built PS to Norabats DRR. The beginning part of the water main supplying town Masis from Kharberd DRRs has been reconstructed; the remaining 2.5km segment of the water main is in emergency condition (see Fig. 13). Water supply to village Ayntap is implemented through the water main from Masis PS to Norabats DRRs (about 15l/s), Kharberd DRRs and a water main belonging to YerevanDjur CJSC. Water supply to villages Arbat and Azatashen is implemented from the pressure pipeline of Norabats DRRs. Water supply to villages Hayanist, Dashtavan and Darbnik is implemented from the gravity pipeline of Norabats DRRs. Water supply to village Marmarashen is implemented from Kharberd DRRs.

1.2.2 Water supply distribution network

Water supply distribution network of Masis town is about 25km, implemented from 50-200mm metallic and polyethylene pipes, around 11.0km long segment of which has been replaced with new pipes. The non-repaired part of the network is in a sad condition and it is impossible to provide sufficient pressures. The main reason of the network deterioration is of its being implemented of metal pipes. And since the groundwater table is high throughout the area of town Masis, the corrosive influence of groundwater favors prompt deterioration of metallic pipes. The network of the rural residential areas is mainly implemented from cast iron, steel and polyethylene pipes. Though within the ADB funded “Water and Sanitation Project” some water lines were reconstructed and constructed, inlet lines of private houses were replaced in villages Ayntap, Arbat, Dashtavan and Marmarashen, there are still problems needing solution. The distribution network water lines in villages Hayanist, Azatashen and Darbnik are in a sad condition, which causes frequent breaks and leakage in the network. The distribution network of Arbat village is implemented from steel and polyethylene pipes. As a result of the project implemented in Arbat, the condition of the distribution network has improved, but still there are problems requiring solution.

Reconstruction of water supply system of town Masis & nearby 4 villages Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

1.2.3 Wastewater system

The operating wastewater system of town Masis is about 34km long, implemented from 150- 800mm cast iron, concrete and asbestos pipes. The wastewater network is in a poor condition The villages have not wastewater systems.

1.3 Geographical location and climate of the residential areas

Town Masis and villages Ayntap, Marmarashen, Darbnik, Dashtavan, Arbat, Hayanist and Azatashen are located in north-west part of Ararat marz. Masis town is at 20km distance from Yerevan. The villages are located at 5 to 15km distance from Masis. Town Masis and villages Ayntap, Marmarashen, Darbnik, Dashtavan, Arbat, Hayanist and Azatashen are located at altitudes of 828.0÷895.0m. According to the data received from Masis Municipality and the villages’ administrations the total number of population is about 45978. The region has dry, continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. Absolute maximum air temperature is 40°C. Absolute minimum air temperature is -30°C. Annual precipitation us 306mm, north and north-eastern winds of 3.0m/sec velocity predominate here. During 20 years winds of 28m/sec velocity are possible, Snow cover thickness reaches 450cm, pressure – 70kg/m2. Maximum land freezing depth is 70cm. From geomorphologic point of view the region is located within lacustrine-cumulative Ararat valley, in its central part. The surface is flat, with slight south-east gradient to rivers Araks and . The main occupation of the population in the region is agriculture. The lands are mainly irrigated, therefore a dense irrigation network is constructed here both through pipelines and mains. According to archive documentation and detailed study of the region, the following layers take part in its geological-lithologic section: – Soil-vegetative layer with clay sand and loamy soil composition, rarely with pebble and gravel content (up to 10%), sometimes spread with roots of trees and bushes in not constructed sites, thickness - 0.3-0.5m. Reconstruction of water supply system of town Masis & nearby 4 villages Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

– Clay sand green-grey, solid and plastic, sometimes silty, with pebble and gravel content, with thin layers of sand of various sizes, spreading is everywhere, thickness - 1.0-4.0m. – Loamy soil brown, grey, sometimes green, solid and semi-solid, sometimes plastic, silty, low humidity and water saturated, spread everywhere, thickness - 2.0-5.0m. – Sand soils of various sizes and tints, with mixture of clay up to 20%, sub-layers and prisms of clay and gravel, soil is of average density, fragile in some places, water saturated, spreading is limited, thickness - 0.5-1.5m. – Pebble-gravel soil, volcanic rocks, well polished, with sand and clay filler up to 30%, with sub-layers and prisms of sand and clay soils, filler is water saturated.

The region has favorable and conditionally favorable engineering-geological conditions; some separate sites have unfavorable engineering-geological conditions in terms of construction implementation.

1.4 Environmental screening

From geomorphologic point of view the region is located within lacustrine-cumulative Ararat valley, in its central part. The surface is flat, with slight south-east gradient to rivers Araks and Vedi. From hydro-geological point of view, the region is reach with water. Underground waters are lined to sand layers existing in alluvial formations. There are both shallow and deep groundwater horizons in the region. Underground waters (I horizon) have weak local pressure, level fluctuations are in a range of 0.5-1.m. Because of high groundwater table, some parts of the reason are swamped and watered. To drop the groundwater table an “open” drainage system was established in the region, through canals and pipelines.

According to the RA CC II-6. 02-2006 the region is located in III (third) seismic zone.

The soils by seismic features belong to II, III and IV classes. Dangerous physical-geological processes are represented by water logging and flooding, high groundwater table, existence of IV class soils (by seismic features – silty, water saturated soils). In Ararat region brown earths poor in humus, saline-alkaline lands are dominant, in lower floodplains - wetlands and swamps. The landscape is of semi-desert type. There are desert sectors as well. Semi-desert dead standing plant species dominate here. In lower swamped areas, canes are spread. Common animal species are wild boar, wild cat, otter. There are many reptiles and insects. Reconstruction of water supply system of town Masis & nearby 4 villages Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

The marz area is located within Yerevan and Geghama floristic regions. Yerevan floristic region includes 140 unique and endangered and 36 endemic species of Armenian flora. Geghama floristic region includes 24 unique and endangered and 20 endemic species. From the species recorded in the Red Book of plants of Armenia, the following species of saline and semi-desert lands occur within the marz’s area: Ghenopodiaceae, Alhagi pseudoalhagi, Amberboa iljiniana, Tamarix octandra. In the project implementation area there are no specially protected zones. Town Masis and the selected villages do not have cultural, archeological or historical-cultural heritage.

1.5 Environmental impact

In order to provide the water demand of the population in Masis town and the region's 7 rural communities it is planned to implement reconstruction of external water supply system and water distribution networks of the settlements. During the implementation of reconstruction activities for the distribution networks of the settlements, there will not be negative impacts on natural landscapes, surface and ground water resources. The main negative impacts will be expressed as air and land pollution, disturbance caused to the population (noise, dust, disruption of traffic, mud, etc.). All of these impacts will be of temporary nature. The external system improvement works include reconstruction of 4 artesian wells, providing of sanitary zones, area improvement, improvement of Masis I, II stage new pump station area, replacement of emergency segments of water mains, construction of new water mains, repair of DRRs and improvement of their sanitary zones. The works for improvement and reconstruction of artesian wells, Masis pump station and DRRs will be mainly implemented within the area of the sanitary zones of those facilities. Thus the environmental pollution will be of limited nature. However, two of the artesian wells are located rather near river Hrazdan and during the construction works a special attention shall be paid on preventing pollution of the river. During reconstruction of water mains and construction of new ones pollution of environmental, land and water resources, air, and in some areas also disturbance of pastures, orchards and other cultivated lands is possible. The new water main planned for village Hayanist will have a flight passage over the river Hrazdan, which makes risks both related to the river pollution and protection of the river banks.

Reconstruction of water supply system of town Masis & nearby 4 villages Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

Figure 2. The probable place of the flight of the water main planned for village Hayanist over the river Hrazdan.

Thus, the environmental screening identified that in the area of water supply systems improvement in town Masis and nearby 7 villages no adverse impact is anticipated on the water, land resources, landscapes, flora and fauna. All impacts will be temporary and will stop after completion of the construction works. As a result of the environmental screening the project can be ranked to Category B, according to the WB Environmental operational policy 4.01 (see Annex 4). Detailed examination of the environment will be implemented within the framework of the detailed design, when the locations of the facilities planned to be constructed, reconstructed or repaired are approved.