Sustainable Water Supply The project is funded by Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Program, Thematic Fund Civil Society Participation Fund. and Sanitation Services for The project is implemented by Earth Bulgarian Rural Forever Foundation in Dalboki - Stara Zagora Municipality, Sarnevo - Radnevo Municipality and Yagoda - Maglizh Municipality. Area Conference Proceedings The conference occurred on 10.05.2016 in Com- munity center „Conscience – 1933”, Hristiyanovo, Stara Zagora Municipality, as a part of the project Mobilizing Civil Society in Rural Communities for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Services, funded by Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Program, Thematic Fund Civil Society Participation Fund and imple- mented by Earth Forever Foundation in collab- oration with three local governments in Central Bulgaria – Stara Zagora Municipality, Radnevo Municipality and Maglizh Municipality. Project summary This project was proposed to enhance EFF organi- result of analysis of all existing publications, strategies zational capacity, pursue its mission to advocate for and plans, as well as numerous village meetings and sustainable water and sanitation (WS) management interviews of local households, strategies for sus- and services. tainable drinking water and sanitation services were The project was motivated by the need to mobilize developed for all project villages. These were based rural communities to make informed decisions and on thorough baseline surveys (more than 50 pages for to address adequately immediate issues, as well as each of the villages) providing information for: efficient management of water resources vulnerable to •• Existing water resources and their quality and vast seasonal fluctuations and climate change. Major quantity; investments and crucial choices are to be made in • Links among water resources, geological structure, the nearest future in 12-15% of villages to meet the soils, vegetation and climate (incl. climate change, requirements of EU water directives. floods and droughts); On one side, EFF Board, staff and volunteers • Links between water resources and economic were trained in new skills to improve project and development of the villages; organizational management, and to strengthen • Population structure and development trends; networking capacity. On the other hand, innovative • Detailed description and analysis of quality and broad bottom-up exercise was put into action to raise quantity of drinking water; collection, treatment awareness of active community groups and mobilize and discharge of wastewater; existing infrastruc- rural communities to stand for their WS rights. ture; and Community WS strategies and action plans, and na- • Measures to be taken for compliance with EU tional high-level conference were among the project and Bulgarian water legislation on drinking water outputs. quality and wastewater collection, treatment and The project applied a bottom-up approach working discharge. with local mayoralties, community centres, schools, business, citizens, etc. in three pilot villages. As a Unfortunately, none of the project villages – Dalboki, Stara Zagora Municipality; Sarnevo, Radnevo Municipality and Yagoda, Maglizh Municipality, complied with Directive 91/271/ЕЕС and Bulgarian Water Act as far as collection, treatment and discharge of wastewater. The derogation expired on 31.12.2014. The developed strategies and action plans were presented to local governments, municipal councils, ministries, funding programs. In the final stage of the implementation of the pro- ject, Earth Forever organized a national conference which was expected to help trace the action plan for achieving the compliance for project villages, as well as to serve as a model for most of the smaller commu- nities that do not comply yet with Directive 91/271/ ЕЕС and Bulgarian Water Act. The conference was organized in collaboration with the National Association of Mayors and the following were invited: MH, RHI, MoEW, WaterLex, SDC, Bu- reau of the Protocol on Water and Health, Water and sanitation company – Stara Zagora, mayors, media, among others. 3 4 Background European Context Europe faces the problem of increasing needs for structed wetlands, sand-planted-reed filters, lagoons clean water for various needs and a constant decrease and systems of irrigation with treated wastewater. of the quality of water resources due to overuse and In various smaller and larger settlements in Europe pollution. various types of sustainable sanitation have been One of the possible answers is the enforcement of applied. These systems include urine diversion, sepa- stricter requirements for better treatment of wastewa- ration of grey and black water, dry toilets, composting ter and requirements for re-use of treated wastewater. and dehydrating toilets. These diverted wastewater During the latest decades the classic sanitation streams, urine and faeces are treated separately and approach has been loudly criticized. Experts all over safely re-used as fertilizers and substances improving the world raise the awareness of decision makers and the soil structure and fertility, for irrigation; produc- the society about sustainable sanitation paradigm. tion of heat, biogas, and electricity. This is a new holistic approach to sanitation systems Sustainable sanitation as a new sanitation paradigm that appeals for efficient and environmentally friendly aims at goals linked to environmental and water pro- sanitation solutions. These include collection and tection, wise economic usage of resources and social treatment of wastewater, control and other preventive justice. Sustainable sanitation addressed with priority measures to guarantee prevention of environmental elimination of health risks and strict protection of pollution, dissemination of pathogens and protection public health. of public health. Sustainable sanitation is based on the Utilization of chemical fertilizers reduces the three pillars of sustainability: protection of environ- interest of many farmers to utilization of treated ment, economic growth and social justice. manure and humanure that in case of irresponsible Among the sanitation methods applied in small set- management and treatment may become threat to tlements in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), septic environment and public health. In order to achieve pits are dominating at the moment. Application of sustainable sanitation in long run, it is necessary this technology leads to permanent pollution of water to reuse the nutrients from physiological waste in resources due to the fact that there is no treatment at agriculture. all but just collection of wastewater. It is well known that non-treated or badly treated The second most frequently used method of wastewater leads to degradation of environment via wastewater management in the small settlements in euthrophication, increased salinity, etc. These threats the region is biological treatment of wastewater using might be avoided by application of sustainable sanita- active biomass. tion approach The enormous problem of conventional wastewater Compared to classical sanitation systems, sustain- treatment plants in CEE is linked to the sludge treat- able sanitation systems better meet the challenges ment. This requires secure methods of treatment of of annual fluctuations of burdens in the sanitation sludge and minimization of sludge, disposal without systems and require low investment and operation ex- compromising the environmental protection and penses. Though some might believe that the methods public health. used in classical and sustainable sanitation systems Natural wastewater treatment systems are very differ significantly, it is not really true – one and the widely used in US and Western Europe, but they same physical, chemical and biological processes are applied in a limited way in the countries of CEE. are used in both. It is important that any sustainable These systems are practically not applied in Bulgaria system is adapted to the specific local conditions to be yet though there are several pilot project imple- effective and reliable all year round. mented by Earth Forever Foundation and Women in Europe for a Common Future – Germany. In the countries from CEE region the most popular natural wastewater treatment technologies are con- 5 Few examples from real life: culties, problems with ownership of the water and • Dry urine diverting toilets for separate collection sanitation infrastructure, etc. These countries, except and treatment of urine and faeces in village com- Ukraine, eventually overcame these difficulties by munity centres in Bulgaria and village schools in their efforts and investments to improve and enlarge Ukraine; their sanitation systems. In addition, the EU offers • Wastewater irrigation system for poplar trees in various financial mechanisms to support the efforts of Hungary; the individual countries, using financial mechanisms • Wastewater treatment in constructed wetlands in provided by PHARE, ISPA, Cohesion and Structural France, Slovakia, Greece, Check republic, etc.; and Funds, among others. • Sustainable sanitation systems and management In all CEE countries (with the exception of Bulgaria, of wastewater in Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Romania and Ukraine) almost all urban population Netherlands. and parts of rural population are connected to sewers. All CEE countries have a common goal – to connect It is important to emphasize that EU legislation – 70 to 90% of their population to systems for collec- leading to national legislations