Saving the Baltic Sea by Investing in the Waste Water Management in Belarus

Public Forum of PRESTO Final Conference entitled “Save the Sea – Investing in Waste Water Management in Belarus” took place in Helsinki on 11^th of February 2014. The event has gathered around 90 participants representing waste water treatment utilities, universities and research institutes, engineering and technology consultancy companies, as well as local, national and EU officials and representatives of the international organizations (UBC, HELCOM), water associations (European - EWA, German - DWA, Belarussian - Aqua-Bel and Finnish Water Forum) and financial institutions (NIB, NDEP/EBRD, NEFCO).

Topics discussed during the conference concentrated on the benefits and challenges of implementing the transnational investments in Belarus, presented practical examples of cooperation aiming at reducing the nutrient load in the Baltic Sea Region, and tried to look into the future of European water management sector.

Björn Grönholm, Head of the Sectretariat UBC EnvCom, explaining “How did we do it?” in PRESTO project

The overall objective of the event was to summarize the achievements of the project, disseminate its outcomes and share the knowledge developed throughout over the two years of its duration. PRESTO kicked off in November 2011, and since then the project activities have resulted in the phosphorous removal investments at three Belorussian WTTPs in Grodno, Molodechno and Vitebsk; laboratory, measurement and other analyzing equipment at the Baltic WTTPs Daugavpils and Kaunas; and capacity building cooperation between the Technical University of Berlin and three universities that prepare water management specialists in Belarus. 

Text and photos: Olena Zinchuk

 

PURE finalizes its investment in Brest

This week delegation from UBC EnvCom had a chance to witness finalization of the PURE investment in Brestvodokanal. Lead partner together with the investment coordinating partner – John Nurminen Foundation, arrived to Brest to visit the site of the reconstructed and newly equipped chemical storing and dosing station at the wastewater treatment facilities.  

Chemical storing and dosing station at Brest WWTP.

The meeting parties discussed schedule of the few finalizing tasks for the forthcoming week as well as more distant future plans that will continue the fruitful work for better wastewater treatment, and congratulated each other on the good work done for the better state of the Baltic Sea. 

PURE actions in Brest had been a piloting case of the EU-funded investments of this type in Belarus.

Site of Brest WWTP.
Photos by Olena Zinchuk, UBC EnvCom.

Previously, PURE has carried out technical audits at 5 more WTTPs and successfully implemented two other investments in enchanced removal of nutrients from the wastewaters of Riga and Jurmala. PURE project is co-funded by the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013.