Waste Water Treatment Plant in Cimişlia
Republic of Moldova
Project name: Renewal of the Wastewater Management
System in Cimișlia, Moldova
Financed by: Czech Development Agency
Implemented by: Ircon ltd and TopolWater ltd
Project partner: Cimișlia Municipality
Implementation period: 10/2011 – 06/2015
The objective of the project Renewal of the Wastewater Management System in Cimişlia was to improve the function of urban infrastructure in the area of wastewater treatment. The project was implemented in the city of Cimişlia, which is located in central Moldova. Population of Cimişlia is approx. 12,000 inhabitants. The project also included a requirement for an improvement of the expert capacity for the operation of the newly reconstructed infrastructure. Before project commencement, waste water was not treated at all in Cimişlia. The municipal wastewater treatment plant was technologically obsolete and has been out of service for a long time. The same was true for the central and local sewage pumping stations from which the waste water was pumped and discharged beyond the city limits into the Kogylnic River. Negative environmental impacts, in particular surface and groundwater quality, were apparent.
The first phase of the project was the elaboration of detailed technical project for the reconstruction of the local waste water treatment plant as it was identified being the most critical element in urban wastewater treatment. After evaluating the impacts of other infrastructure parts, it was decided that another critical element was the central waste water pumping station, which also needed the fundamental technological change. After the technical project was approved, both technological units were being reconstructed. The construction part was provided by the local municipality that owns the infrastructure. The municipality of Cimişlia town also ensured the necessary renewal of the discharge pipeline connecting the central wastewater pumping station with the WWTP. The design and technical project for construction part were prepared by the Czech company TopolWater s.r.o. that was the supplier of the technology. The newly installed WWTP with a capacity of 1,200 m3 / day fully covers the needs of the city of Cimişlia.
In parallel with the reconstruction of WWTP and waste water pumping stations, intensive consultations were held with the local Water and Sewerage Company - the operator of the newly renovated system, with the aim of preparing the company's revitalization plan and a plan for other priority investments. It was also necessary to prepare the harmonization of water and sewage tariffs in order to ensure the long-term sustainable operation of the installed equipment and also to generate the resources necessary for investments in the technological equipment of the operating company. In addition to the above, an intensive awareness campaign was also carried out in Cimişlia aimed at pupils in local schools and focused on environmental issues.
In 2013 - 2014, the WWTP technology was operated in a testing run, which was continuously evaluated, especially with regard to the monitoring of the parameters of the treated and released waste water at the outlet. Also, the first elements of operating company restructuring were put into practice so that its future operation would be economically sustainable, provided that water was available to all residents of the city. The project was inaugurated in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Minister of Construction of Moldova, Minister of Ecology of Moldova and other distinguished guests at the end of 2014.
