Legislative Control on Wastewater Treatment in the Black Sea Basin

BSB JOP Project:WASTEnet: A BLACK SEA NETWORK PROMOTING THE INTEGRATED NATURAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS 3rd Steering Committee Meeting,Workshop and Study Visit Yerevan 1-5 July, 2014 Ketevan Kupatadze, Professor of Ilia State University Tbilisi, Georgia Email:Ketevan_kupatadze@iliauni.edu.ge

Workshop: “Maximizing the Impact of Territorial Co-operation: Alternative Solutions to Waste-water Management in the wider Black Sea Basin Region” Ketevan Kupatadze, Professor of Ilia State University Tbilisi, Georgia Email:Ketevan_kupatadze@iliauni.edu.ge

The Legislative Framework and Present Status on Wastewater Treatment in the Black Sea Basin

One of the main problems in the 21st century is Polluted Environment. From the environment I would like underlined water because in the water every polluted agent can be solved making different pollutant substances. In the water Ions of heavy metals can be transformed in soluble forms and can spreading in soil (by underground wastewater) and in troposphere with the aerosols from water. One of the reason water pollution is untreated domestic wastewater.

In order to maintain water clean it is necessary to incorporate the control over the purification of sewage and septage waste water into the legislative framework. In this presentation we shall discuss exactly this legislative control. Also we shall briefly describe the present situation as well as the existing practice of the use of NTS system. We shall focus on Georgia, though other partner countries will be overviewed, too.

GEORGIAN LEGISLATION ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT At present Georgia provides for the protection of water resources through the regulating of discharges from activities that can have impact on the receiving waters. These regulations are based on setting standards for various parameters in the receiving water environment which are appropriate for the protection of the natural ecosystem and potential use of the water resource, for example as a drinking water supply.

In Georgia water quality standards are defined according to the different categories of water use: • “Drinking‐economic water use”: these are the water bodies which are used for drinking, or food production purposes; • “Economic‐household water use”: these are the water bodies used for recreational, or irrigational purposes, or the water bodies, located within the limits of settlements; • “Fish farming water use”. This category comprises the water bodies, or their parts which are significant for rehabilitation of fish stocks, fishery, and fish migration. • This category is in turn divided into three categories: • 1. Highest; 2. First; and 3. Second categories, according to fish species inhabited the water body and its special characteristics (how rare they are, how sensitive they are to environmental conditions, how valuable they are from economic viewpoint etc.).

For the drinking economic and economic recreational water bodies categories of the water quality standards are defined as maximum concentrations of polluting substances permissible for human health in the river waters. They are defined in ‘Sanitary Rules and Standards for the Protection of Surface Waters from Pollution’. The ecologic norms for pollutants in surface waters are established by “the Rules of Protection of Surface Waters of Georgia from the Pollution”. This regulation defines maximum permissible concentrations of polluting substances in water bodies significant for human heath, as well as for fish farming purposes.

The maximum allowable concentrations of various substances for industrial and wastewater facilities which discharge to surface water bodies, established by the above mentioned technical regulations, are presented in the Table.

A New Framework Water Law of Georgia is currently under preparation. The law will address all types of water bodies including groundwater as well as both water quality and quantity. It will provide for water management at a river-basin level and incorporate all aspects of integrated water resources management, including a water classification system, water quality objectives and standards, water use, water resources planning, pollution prevention, monitoring and enforcement, flood risk management and public participation. Adoption of the new water law will be a significant step towards establishing internationally accepted water sustainability management practices.

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Georgia Water pollutants according to the sectors are distributed as follows: • Water supply and sewerage system -67% per year; • Heat power engineering-31% per year; • Industry- 2% per year; Untreated municipal wastewater discharges into the rivers, and diffuse pollution from agricultural lands are considered as the main sources of ammonia and nitrite pollution in Georgia’s rivers. In addition, legal and illegal landfills which are often located at river banks are significant polluters of rivers. The liquid substance which arises from the degradation of wastes, leachate, is highly toxic to aquatic life. It contains high levels of nutrients and heavy metals, and, depending on the type of wastes disposed of at the landfill, may contain significant quantities of other hazardous compounds.

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels Presently there is only one fully operational wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Sachkhere. Another, in Gardabani, provides only primary, mechanical treatment. The Gardabani WWTP receives municipal wastewaters from the capital, Tbilisi, and the city of Rustavi. However, a significant volume of untreated urban wastewater from Tbilisi and Rustavi discharges directly into the Mtkvari River. The rehabilitation of water supply and sanitation systems in Batumi, Poti, Kutaisi, Borjomi and Bakuriani is ongoing. Construction of a biological wastewater treatment facility in Ninotsminda is being finalized. Construction projects for a biological wastewater treatment facility for Batumi and the coastal settlements from Batumi to the Turkish boarder, as well as for the city of Poti have been already developed. Similar projects for Kutaisi, Borjomi and Bakuriani need to be developed. Full rehabilitation and modernization of the Gardabani WWTP is required by the environmental impact permit conditions to be undertaken before 2018.

Overview of Existing Natural Treatment Systems In Georgia there is no practice of construction of natural treatment systems. The first experience was in 2010 when the Wood Service in partnership with Dutch company Ecofyt initiated launch of a natural alternative system of wastewater treatment in Georgia – Constructed Wetlands. This system represented an artificial treatment reservoir with main purpose of water purification. In 2011 Wood Services was planning to build two constructed wetlands: first one at Eco-hotel on Bazaleti Lake and second one at Aragvi Adventure Center in Tvalivi village.Though, later, due to various causes, these plans have not been implemented.

MOLDOVIAN LEGISLATION ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT A lot of main laws are ruling in the Republic of Moldova related to the subject of the wastewater treatment: • Law on the Environmental Protection; • Constitution of the Republic of Moldova; • Law on Ecological Expertise and Environmental Impact Assessment; • Law on Sanitary‐Epidemiologic Welfare of Population; • Construction Norms and Regulations; • The Rules on Surface Water ; • Law on Water Protection Zones and Strips along Rivers and Water Bodies; • Law on Drinking Water; • And ETC. The Republic of Moldova has signed a series of Conventions and Partnership Agreements in the field of water supply and sanitation.

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Moldova At the operating wastewater treatment plants in Moldova, the following treatment levels are applied: • Primary treatment including screens, sedimentation and grit removal. The treatment methods applied include: • filtering wastewater through fine screens to remove items such as paper, cotton tips and plastic; • removing sand and grit that has fallen to the bottom of aerated grit tanks; • removing solids that have settled to the bottom of sedimentation tanks; • removing oil and grease that floats to the top of tanks using scrapers.

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Moldova Secondary treatment which removes nutrients and other impurities dissolved in water. This treatment is provided using the biological reactor system, which creates different environments for microorganisms to treat pollutants in wastewater. Tertiary treatment, as a rule, only consists in disinfection of treated water most often with chlorine (Cl2), or less often, with sodium chloride (NaOCl) or calcium chloride (CaCl2).

Overview of Existing Natural Treatment Systems Currently, the following types of natural treatment of municipal wastewater systems are operated in Moldova: Biological ponds with artificial aeration; Biological ponds with natural aeration; Constructed Wetlands; Some other types of natural treatment systems;

ROMANIAN LEGISLATION ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT The Objective of the Legislation is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of discharges of urban wastewater and of wastewater from certain industrial sectors (mainly processing and food industry). The Directive sets out a number of requirements concerning collection systems, and treatment discharge of wastewater from urban agglomerations, as well as of the biodegradable waste discharge from certain industrial sectors.

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Romania • The control of wastewater treatment is under control of Environmental Protection Agencies which is under control of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The biggest volume of untreated water comes from the sewage systems of localities (over 89%) and the industrial sectors (chemical and petrochemical industry, 3%, energy sector, 8%). Other major polluters of freshwater are the industrial activities (chemical and petrochemical industry, mining activities, metallurgical industry, food industry and livestock).

Overview of Existing Natural Treatment Systems Implementation of NTS in Romania is at the beginning and we could find only two examples; one in Vrata village and the other one in Viscri village. The NTS in Viscri village is a Free Water Surface (FWS) systems consisting of three settlement basins that will be planted with reed.

UKRAINIAN LEGISLATION ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT The issue of the wastewater is regulated by the Law of Ukraine “On drinking water and water supply” of 10.01.2002 № N 2918 -III (as amended) and the Water Code of Ukraine of 06.06.1995 № 214/95-VR (as amended).

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Ukraine In the Odessa region there are 110 enterprises that carry the discharge of wastewaters into surface water bodies, including projects approved norms of maximum permissible discharge of pollutants into surface water bodies are about 58% of business entities. In the Odessa region there are 203 centers of sewage treatment plants located on the recreation, the health centers in the recreational area of Belgorod-Dniester, Kominternivskyi and Ovidiopolskiy areas. Sewage treatment plants and sewerages were built in 70s-80s of the last century, for today they are simply obsolete and do not meet modern requirements.

Overview of Existing Natural Treatment Systems As one example of NTS is sewage treatment plants BIOTAL. In order to get the best results in cleaning drains and increase the capacity of treatment plants, the work of anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms has to be well combined, thus 2- phasic clearance is required: 1-anaerobic and 2-aerobic.

TURKISH LEGISLATION ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT There are two regulations regulating urban wastewater discharge and treatment in Turkey in accordance with the European UrbanWastewater Treatment Directive dated May 21 1991 and with number 91/271/EEC. Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulation; Water Pollution Control Regulation; By these regulations the Republic of Turkey regulates all kinds of water discharge including urban wastewater.

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Turkey In Turkey, wastewater treatment facilities or natural treatment methods are used for treatment of wastewater. In places where both population and flow rate is high, activated sludge, activated sludge with extended aeration activated system, stabilization pool, sequential batch reactor, trickling filter and membrane systems are used in wastewater treatment facilities as treatment methods. Constructed wetlands, which are one of the natural wastewater treatment methods, are used in settlements with low population. All organizations (Industrial Organizations, Organized Industrial Zones, and Municipalities etc.), which generate and treat their wastewater in their territory, have the obligation of providing a discharge limit to the receiving waters as indicated in Water Pollution Control Regulation.

Average Discharge Standards of Domestic Wastewater to Receiving Waters (Class 1:Pollution Load as Raw BOD between 5-120 kg/day, Population 84-2000) (Appearing in Water Pollution Control Regulation under Table 21.1)

Overview of Existing Natural Treatment Systems In Turkey, 89 natural wastewater treatment plants are active as constructed wetland in small settlement areas in Turkey and are operated by Provincial Special Administrations and Local Administrations. In Turkey, constructed wetlands with subsurface runoff are preferred in general, due to odor and fly problems, which are the main problems of constructed wetlands with subsurface runoff.

ARMENIANLEGISLATION ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT The laws and related regulations, which are stipulating the scope of sanitation standards and regulating the wastewater drainage and cleaning stations system, are as follows: Water Code, RA Law “On Basic Provisions on National Water Policy”, RA Law “On National Water Program of the Republic of Armenia”, RA Law “On Provision of Sanitary-Epidemic Security of the Population”, RA Law “On Lake Sevan”, RA Law “On Approving of Annual and Complex Plans on Restoration, Preservation, Reproduction and Utilization of Ecosystem of Lake Sevan”, RA Law on “Environmental and Nature Use Charges”, RA Law “On the Tariffs of Environmental Charges”;

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Armenia The RA Water Code is the fundamental legal act regulating main conceptions of water policy. Among its goals and objectives are the protection of national water reserves, creating respective grounds for meeting the citizens’ and economic demands through efficient management of usable water resources and for the provision of ecological sustainability of the environment, prevention of harmful water impact etc. In order to ensure the enforcement of the new Water Code, the Government has adopted around 120 normative acts since 2002 which are related with the procedures on issuing water use authorizations, water basin management, utilization of water-removal systems and standards of removed wastewaters, etc.

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Armenia The Ministry of Nature Protection remained responsible for monitoring surface and groundwater along with environmental laboratories. The Code established a Natural Water Council (highest Advisory body), consisting of the follow governmental entities: Prime Minister, Minister of Finances, Nature Protection and Agriculture and head of the State Committee of Water Resources, among others. The State Committee of Water Resources was responsible for monitoring of water supplies and control of reservoirs. Industrial waste effluents remained the responsibility of each enterprise.

Overview of Existing Natural Treatment Systems The only ‘natural system’ cited in the literary sources was the Parakar aerated lagoon facility. The project in Parakar was initiated by the village mayor in 2010 in partnership with “Parakar” Benevolent Foundation and Country Water Partnership (NGO). Within the framework of the project there has been implemented a demo project on domestic wastewater treatment. The project included construction of a lagoon for wastewater treatment, which so far is the only case of application of this technology in Armenia, though it is applied broadly in several countries in Northern America and Europe.

GREEK LEGISLATION ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT Since 1965, the Sanitary Decree Elb/221/1965, in addition with the operational conditions for small private drainage systems, has set the general terms for the disposal of sewage and industrial waste, depending on the type of receiving waters and soil. Furthermore, the Decree defined the procedure for securing the disposal license, which is in force until today. The engagement and obligations of Greece regarding the integrated management of urban sewages result from Council Directive of 21 May 1991 on the treatment of urban wastewater (Directive 91/271/EEC), which constitutes a key environmental policy of the European Union. One of the main provisions of this Directive is the obligation to establish at agglomerations wastewater collection systems combined with a suitable treatment process and a detailed timetable was proposed depending on the size of the community and the sensitivity of the receiving waters. However, the progress made in achieving these objectives is problematic, because of the delayed incorporation of the Directive to the National Law of Greece. Although, according to the Directive provisions, the terminal date for compliance with it was June 30 of 1993. The relative Ministerial Decision (MD) No. 5673/400/97 (Official Gazette 192B/1997) was published with four years delay.

Present Conditions on Wastewater Treatment Levels In Greece Wastewater treatment in all parts of Europe has improved during the last 15‐20 years. Tertiary treatment occurs most often in Italy, Greece with rates around 80%.

Overview of Existing Natural Treatment Systems Natural systems often represent the main solution for wastewater treatment in rural areas and small, isolated or peri‐urban communities, where there is no possibility of residence connection to a sewer and a public wastewater treatment system. In Greece there is a grate experience to use NTS. 1. A NTS system was implemented in Pompia (Crete) in 1999; 2. A CW built next to Gallikos River (area of Thessaloniki, North Greece) has been in operation since April 1997 for the secondary treatment of municipal wastewater; 3. Another CW facility (Gikas et al. 2010) operates in NeaMadytos (a village in Thessaloniki Prefecture, North Greece); 4. A hybrid system was designed in Gomati (Chalkidiki Prefecture, North Greece); And ETC.

Thus, we have very briefly outlined the present circumstances in all the countries that take part in the project, as well as their legislations, present situation in wastewater purification wastewater and in Natural Treatment Systems.

Thank you for your Attention!   

Legislative Control on Wastewater Treatment in the Black Sea Basin