Initial Environmental Examination December 2014 ARM: Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project – Additional Financing Improvement of the Water Supply Systems of the Settlements of Shirak Region Prepared by State Committee of Water System under the RA Ministry for Territorial Governance for the Asian Development Bank. This initial environmental examination report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. HGSN LLC -JINJ Ltd Improvement of the water supply systems of the settlements in Shirak region STATE COMMITTEE OF WATER SYSTEM UNDER THE RA MINISTRY FOR TERRITORIAL GOVERNANCE “ARMWATERSEWERAGE” CJSC FUNDED BY ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SECTOR PROJECT - ADDITIONAL FINANCING IX Subproject IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS OF THE SETTLEMENTS OF SHIRAK REGION L2860-ICB-1-09 ARTIK TOWN AND HOVTASHEN, MEGHRASHEN, NOR KYANK, VARDAKAR, PANIK, METS MANTASH, GEGHANIST AND SPANDARYAN VILLAGES INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION HGSN LLC, Director V. Hovasapyan Environmental expert K. Sahakyan Yerevan, December, 2014 Subproject IX Initial Environmental Examination 2 HGSN LLC -JINJ Ltd Improvement of the water supply systems of the settlements in Shirak region TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Scope of Work ....................................................................................... 4 2. Description of the Existing Water Supply and Sewage Systems .............. 4 2.1. Description of the water supply systems ........................................................................... 4 2.2. Description of the sewage system ..................................................................................... 5 3. Geographical Location and Climate of the Settlements .......................... 6 4. Biodiversity and Specially Protected Areas ........................................... 7 5. Environmental Impact Assessment ........................................................ 8 Appendix 1. Checklist for Quick Environmental Evaluation ......................... 9 Appendix 2: Checklist for Preliminary Climate Risk Screening .................. 12 Appendix 3.1. Schematic map of the subproject ....................................... 13 Appendix 3.2. Schematic map of the subproject (Google) ........................ 14 Appendix 3.3. Schematic map of the subproject (Google, section 1) ......... 15 Appendix 3.4. Schematic map of the subproject (Google, section 2) ......... 16 ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development WTP Water Treatment Plant DRR Daily Regulating Reservoir Subproject IX Initial Environmental Examination 3 HGSN LLC -JINJ Ltd Improvement of the water supply systems of the settlements in Shirak region 1. Scope of Work The aim of this subcomponent of the subproject is the improvement of drinking water supply systems of Artik town and 8 adjacent villages (Hovtashen, Meghrashen, Nor Kyank, Vardakar, Panik, Mets Mantash, Geghanist, Spandaryan villages) in the region of Shirak, RA, within the framework of the project. Priority has been given to the improvement of the water supply systems of the settlements. The works carried out for this purpose involve the following: - Construction and reconstruction of external conduits, - Construction and reconstruction of chlorination plant, - Repair of valve junctions of DRRs and fencing the sanitary zone, - Construction and reconstruction of distribution network waterlines with polyethylene pipes, - Replacement of entry lines of private houses, business entities and apartment buildings and installation of water metering chambers, - Construction and reconstruction of water supply, valve and hydrant chambers, as well as valve units. The number urban population in the settlements covered by the subproject as of 01.01.2014 is 19665 (Artik town), and rural population is 13480 (Hovtashen - 299, Meghrashen-1497, Nor Kyank- 1968, Vardakar-791, Panik-3210, Mets Mantash-2601, Geghanist-1321, Spandaryan-1793). According to the data published by the "Demographic Handbook of Armenia, 2012", the population growth is 0.18%. Due to the project implementation, it is planned to provide drinking and sustainable water supply to the consumers of the communities. 2. Description of the Existing Water Supply and Sewage Systems 2.1. Description of the water supply systems The water supply in all of the settlements included in the subproject Artik town and 8 villages is carried out due to the high quality ground waters collected from the sub-bed drainage structure constructed in the upper streams of Mantash river, as well as the reservoir water filtered through the water intake structure. The water is transmitted from Mantash reservoir to the 2 WTP areas in Artik town and the villages through 2 steel pipelines. One of the WTPs, constructed from 1958 up to 1982, served the water supply of Artik town and its adjacent several villages. The capacity of this WTP has been 7500m3/day. In 1982 new “Artik” WTP was constructed in the north-eastern section of Artik town to ensure its water supply, thus leaving the water supply of the villages to the operation of the old water treatment plant. That is why it is called WTP of “Villages”. In 1988 the treatment plant became completely out of order as a result of a disastrous earthquake, its withstandability was disturbed, main technological structures as the settlers, filters, etc. were damaged. Subproject IX Initial Environmental Examination 4 HGSN LLC -JINJ Ltd Improvement of the water supply systems of the settlements in Shirak region At present, among the settlements covered by the subproject, the water supply systems of Panik, Meghrashen, Nor Kyank, Vardakar, Hovtashen and Spandaryan villages are fed from Mantash reservoir. At first the water is transmitted from the reservoir to the area of the old treatment plant through steel pipeline, and then it is distributed to the villages without disinfection. Mets Mantash, Pokr Mantash, Arevshat and Geghanist villages, as well as some neighborhoods of Spandaryan village are supplied from the water filtered from Mantash reservoir through the water intake structure. The water is collected in r/c basin of the water intake, then it is transmitted to the valve unit adjacent to the area of the old treatment plant through steel pipes, from where it is distributed to the systems of the mentioned villages through the external conduit. Some sections of the external conduit going to Mets Mantash need reconstruction. In the above mentioned both cases the water undergoes only initial mechanical clearing. Previously it was planned to chlorinate the water in the chlorination plant in the vicinity of the dilapidated “WTP of Villages”, however the chlorination plant does not operate now and the water is supplied to the settlements without disinfection. There are DRRs in all the villages of the subproject, but in general they are not exploited because of the lack of water or their not proper technical state. No improvement works have been carried out in the villages of the subproject. The water supply distribution networks were constructed mainly in 1960s. Some of the deteriorated waterlines have been reconstructed at the expense of the communities, which, however, didn’t have a significant impact on the overall operation of the system. No water metering is done in the villages. Artik distribution system is mostly constructed with steel, cats-iron and polyethylene pipes. Improvement works of the water supply system aimed to repair the distribution network and DRRs were carried out financed by ADB (2009-2011) and EBRD (2012). In 2013 additional 570m long sub-bed drainage water intake structure was constructed in the upper stream of Mantash river financed by EBRD making it possible to increase the quantity of water collected from Mantsh River outfall up to 150l/sec. 2.2. Description of the sewage system Artik town is the only settlement which has a sewage system among the subproject settlements. 90% of the households are connected to the network. The system of storm sewers is separate. The storm water is removed through closed network and open flumes to the nearest sewer. Wastewater is collected by the collectors and removed to the sewage collector of Artik town. There is no wastewater treatment plant. During the construction of the Artik town sewage system (1965-1970), considering its further development, there were Փ300-Փ400mm diameter sewage pipes laid. Artik town sewage maximal design discharge makes up 73.58 l/sec (the calculations are made untill 2040). Taking into account the measurements carried out in the system during the opreation years, few failures, the engineers came to conclusion that the parameters of Փ400mm diameter sewer pipes selected under the instruction of nominal demensions fully meet the standard requirements, thus, the designed additional water supply will not cause any problem to sewage system regular operation. Subproject IX Initial Environmental Examination 5 HGSN LLC -JINJ Ltd Improvement of the water supply systems of the settlements in Shirak region Table 1. Design population growth by years Artik town population number by