ISPA Information Sheet

2000/PL/16/P/PE/016

Measure title : Water quality improvement in

Authorities responsible for implementation

Name: National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management

Address: Konstruktorska 3A 00-673 Warsaw,

Location

Region: West Pomerania

Description

Szczecin is a major port city on the Odra river 70 km from the Baltic Sea with a population of 416,000. The city is a major hot spot contributing to the pollution of the Baltic Sea. At present, waste water generated by the city amounts 77,000 m³/day. Of this, only 15% is treated.

On the west bank of the city, where the majority of the population lives, 73% of the waste water collected is directed to three basic mechanical treatment plants. These barely function and have no significant role in treating waste water. There are also three small temporary plants on the west bank but these have only local effects and have no substantial impact on the waste water problem in Szczecin.

There are two small treatment plants on the east bank of a temporary and local nature and these have no significant impact. The only waste water treatment plant of any significance in Szczecin is the Zdroje plant on the east bank of the Odra, partially treating about 15% of waste water arising in the city. This plant is mechanical only with no biological component and it does not meet current Polish and EU treatment standards.

There is an additional mechanical-chemical-biological treatment plant, , with a capacity of 12,000 m³/day, in the north of the city operating at a timber mill. A recent agreement between the city and the mill will allow sewerage from some northern residential districts of the city to be treated at Skolwin. This plant meets EU treatment standards.

There is a separate collection system in the Miedzyodrze area between the east and west Odra rivers collecting mainly from industrial plants in the port area which discharge to the modern Ostrow Grabowski mechanical/biological treatment plant operated by a private company, the Miedzyodrze company. This collection system and treatment plant does not form part of the ISPA project.

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At present, sludge from all plants is deposited at a sludge drying area at Zdroje while screenings and sand from those plants that have functioning sand traps are deposited at a landfill 100 km from the city since the city does not have its own landfill.

The length of the sewer system is in 2000 was 734 km, of which 31% is of the combined type, mainly in the city centre, and 69% is the separated system. One area in the north of the city has no sanitary sewerage whatever. The technical condition of the collection system is described as "poor or very poor" in the feasibility study for the project, largely because most of the system was built over sixty years ago and no systematic renovation work has been carried out over many years.

The major need for investment is in the waste water sector. However, drinking water quality in the city is not up to EU standards and the city is largely dependent for its supply on a single pipeline from one main water source at Miedwie lake south east of the city.

In March 2000 the city completed a master plan to implement a major programme of investment, including a completely new waste water treatment plant on a new site on the west bank, up-grading the existing plant on the east bank, a major programme of sewerage extension and rehabilitation and investment in the water supply system. The aim is to treat virtually all waste water to Polish and EU standards and to improve drinking water quality and security of supply. The investment programme in the water supply and waste water sector will be a major undertaking costing in excess of €280 million (eligible cost).

FIRST PHASE A first phase of works costing an estimated €47 million was approved by the Commission in 2000 (signature of Financing Memorandum: 28 December 2000) made up of the following:

Water supply: - second pipeline from Miedwie lake to the city (Miedwie-Kijewo) - new water main in the north west of the city (Warszewo-Msiecino, task I) - activated carbon filters at Miedwie treatment plant

Water treatment: - two major pumping stations at Bialowieska and Gorny Brzeg - new sewage collectors in the south east of the city in the Pomorzany district - rehabilitation of existing sewers in Bohaterow and Sloncu streets, also in the Pomorzany district

The estimated eligible cost of the water supply investment is €26.6 million and the estimated eligible cost of the waste water pumps and collectors is €17.8 million. Technical assistance for the preparation of the main stage of the project and for support to the city and water company during implementation will also be provided. This will amount to €2.0 million.

The works in this first phase are eligible for assistance from ISPA from the date of signature of the financing memorandum, 28 December 2000.

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SECOND PHASE The second much larger phase of the project will solve the main problems with the waste water system in Szczecin: the lack of adequate treatment on both the west and east banks and the inadequate condition of the collection system.

Treatment plants: One major element of the investment will be the construction of a large new water treatment plant on the west bank of the Odra ("Pomorzany"). This plant will have a capacity of 66,000 m³/day or 418,000 p.e. The plant will be constructed using a design-and-build contract and therefore the precise technology and design are not yet available. However, it will be a conventional multi-stage activated sludge treatment plant. It will be located in an industrial area of 58 ha close to the Odra river. The site is already owned by the city which has been planing to build a new waste water treatment plant there since the nineteen eighties. The site is partly wasteland, partly a construction debris disposal site and partly peat bog beside the river. There is a protective zone around the site on which residential building is prohibited. The cost of this treatment plant is estimated to be €77 million.

The existing Zdroje treatment plant on the east bank will be extended and reconstructed to become a mechanical/biological treatment plant of 18,000m³/day capacity (109,000 p.e.) Like Pomorzany, the site is in an area classified as industrial and has been owned by the water company for many years. It will also be built using a design-and- build contract. In both Zdroje and Pomorzany biogas will be collected and used to provide heating and energy within the plants. The cost of the Zdroje treatment plant is estimated to be €11 million.

Both the Pomorzany and Zdzoje plants (both with waste water sludge treatment facilities) will be designed to achieve the treatment standards specified in the Urban Waste Water Directive 91/271, included the standards for nutrient removal.

Sewage sludge treatment: The sewage sludge arising in both plants will be thickened and then digested. It will be mechanically dewatered to 25% dry solids then dried to 90% dry solids. The intention is then to incinerate the dried sludge from both plants at the Pomorzany site since insufficient landfill capacity exists in the city and surrounding area to dispose of the volumes which will be generated. The cost of sludge treatment and final disposal in both plants is estimated to be €16 million.

Waste water collection: The waste water collection system will be extended and reconstructed. Approximately 107,300 m of new sewers will be constructed, of which 30,500 m will be pressurised, 47,600 m of existing sewers will be reconstructed and an additional 75,490 m will be added to the storm water collection network. The percentage of the city's population connected to the waste water collection system will rise from 96% to 98 %, adding a further 7,000 inhabitants to the network. The works planned will be as follows:

Pomorzany catchment: - main collector K-2, gravity sewers, pumping station, pressure mains and sewer and storm water system in K-2 catchment area (12,600 m of sewers, 9,600 m of storm sewers and 3 pumping stations) - construction of sewer and storm water system in Gumience and Swierczewo districts (1,980 m of sewers and 4,430 m of storm sewers) - renovation of sewers in fifty six streets; these are brick, stoneware and concrete sewers of different shapes, diameters and conditions to be renovated using both the

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no-dig and replacement methods. Some areas are severely damaged. Approximately 47,600 m of sewers will be renovated. - combined collectors in 1-go Maja street (730 m) and storm water collectors (4,100 m) in district - main collector "W" (2,400 m sewer) - pressure collector Nad Odra/Stolszyn-Grabow (12,730 m) with 6 pumping stations and 7 local pumping stations - new sewers in seven streets, including gravity network and pressure pipeline (4,300 m) storm water sewers (3,660 m) and one pumping station.

Zdroje catchment: - pressure collectors -Zdroje and Zalom-Dabie (6,100 m) - sewerage (42,730 m) and storm water (41,900 m) system for the Dabie, Kijewo, Podjuchy, Zydowce and Klucz residential areas and seven pumping stations.

Skolwin catchment: - sewer system for Skolwin residential district including gravity network, pressure pipelines (11,600 m), 8 pumping stations and storm water sewers (11,800 m).

Two main pumping stations in the catchment area of the Pomorzany WWTP (Gorny Brzeg and Bialowieska) were included in the first phase of the project. Three additional major pumping stations (Grabow with pressure collector (2,372 m), Dolny Brzeg with pressure collector (9,806 m) and Podjuchy) will be included in the second phase, the first two in the Pomorazany catchment and the third in the Zdroje catchment.

The new sewers will follow existing streets wherever possible. New data transmission equipment will be laid alongside new or reconstructed sewers to improve control of the system.

The cost of the new and reconstructed waste water and storm water collection works, including pumping stations, is estimated to be €118 million.

Drinking water: In the drinking water sector, the second phase will include the construction of the water main Warszewo-Mscienico (tasks II, III and IV), which concern the interconnection of the northern districts of Szczecin with the Warszewo- Msiecino water main (task I), assisted under Phase I of the project, and the extension of the water supply network to the districts of Gumience, Swierczewo, Dabie, Kijewo and Podjuchy. This will involve the construction of 55,200 m of water pipes and three pumping stations.

The percentage of the population connected to the water supply system will rise from 97% to 98.5%, adding an additional 6,000 people to the system. Consumption per head was 138 l/head/day in 2001 and is expected to fall to under 120 l/head/day when the project is completed. The cost of these works is estimated to be €14 million.

Existing plants: Four of the existing small mechanical plants (Gorny Brzeg, Dolny Brzeg, Podjuchy and Grabow) will become pumping stations. The other small plants will not be extended or modernised. In the future virtually all waste water treatment in Szczecin will take place at Pomorzany and Zdroje.

Technical assistance, project supervision: The estimated cost will be over €6 million, almost all of which will be for independent project supervision.

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The works specified above in this second phase of the project and included in the contracts which will implement the second phase (see Annex 1A) are eligible for assistance from ISPA from the date of signature of the modified financing memorandum.

Objectives

· to provide a comprehensive solution to all of the shortcomings in the water sector in Szczecin

· to enable the city to achieve compliance with Urban Wastewater Directive 91/271/EC and Drinking Water Directives 98/63/EC, 75/440/EEC and 80/778/EEC.

· to enable the city to comply with the Sewage Sludge Directive

· to improve the health and environmental conditions of the city's population

· the project will have a significant trans-border effect.

· an additional 6,000 inhabitants will be added to the water supply system and an additional 7,000 to the waste water collection system

Environmental impact analysis

The construction/up-grading of the Pomorzany treatment plant is a type of investment covered by Annex I of the EU Environmental Impact Assessment Directives (85/337/EEC, as amended by 97/11/EC) and therefore an Environmental Impact Assessment is required. This will be completed and certified by the competent environmental authorities.

The type of investment in the Zdroje waste water treatment plant, in the waste water collection network and in the water distribution network falls within projects covered by Annex II of the Directives. These are project types for which the national authorities must carry our screening to determine if an EIA is required. In this case, they have decided to carry out an EIA for the up-grading of the Zdroje waste water treatment plant. This will be completed and certified by the competent environmental authorities.

The authorities decided that an EIA was not required for the remaining works (mainly the extension and renovation of the waste water collection system and the extension of the water supply system) and they have explained their reasoning to the Commission.

Cost and assistance (in EURO)

Total cost Private Ineligible cost Total eligible ISPA grant Grant sector cost Rate contribution % 292 200 000 0 4 200 000 288 000 000 190 080 000 66

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