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11.2. Recommendations
It is recommended that the Strategic Action Program for Priority Mitigation Measures should include 1 industrial (Mozyrsky petroleum refinery) and 4 municipal enterprises (wastewater treatment facilities of the cities of Minsk, Retchitsa, Gomel and Mogilev) ranked by the respective indicators within the categories “Water Quality and Human Health”, “Pollution Control”, “Environment and Biodiversity” and “Economy”.
The recommendations for Strategic Action Programme are given below.
11.2.1. Recommendations for Water Quality
- Discontinuance of surface water withdrawal downstream of the effluent discharges.
- Evaluation of the connectivity between river (surface) water quality and the quality of underground water supplies used most of all for drinking water supply.
- Prohibition of recreational and commercial fishing in the areas of effluent discharges.
- Assessment of the relationship between human health and water quality.
- Analysis of the bottom sediments downstream of the discharges from large wastewater treatment facilities of the cities of Gomel, Retchitsa, Mogilev, etc.
11.2.2. Recommendations for Pollution Control
The basic problem with the wastewater treatment facilities of the cities of Gomel and Retchitsa is that the structures are primitive, out-of-date and obsolete with design flaws in the sediment processing. The wastewater treatment equipment is in an unsatisfactory condition and practically non-serviceable. The wastewater treatment facilities of the town of Retchitsa are currently under reconstruction and in the process of being balanced and commissioned. To improve the efficiency of wastewater treatment it is necessary to complete the reconstruction of the wastewater treatment facilities, put into operation the sediment dehydration units, and ensure efficient and regular control of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of incoming wastewater for treatment.
In order to improve the treatment system at the wastewater treatment facilities of the towns of the Mozyr and Kalinkovichy and the quality of the discharge, it will be necessary to: complete the reconstruction of the second oil-recovery system at the Mozyrsky petroleum refinery; put into operation the ultraviolet disinfection complex; conduct reconstruction of the sediment dehydration section; and ensure efficient and regular control of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of incoming wastewater arriving for treatment and the quality of the treated discharge being released from the wastewater treatment facilities. Currently, the depreciation of the facilities and equipment at the Minsk effluent treatment plant varies from 40 to 90%. There are no facilities for post-treatment of sewage water and elimination of nitrogen and phosphorus at the Minsk effluent treatment plant. In order to achieve the required level of treatment of wastewater arriving at Minsk effluent treatment plant, it is necessary to complete the construction of initial complex which will increase the capacity of the wastewater treatment facilities up to 100 thousand m³/day. Realization of this task requires 15 million US dollars.
The wastewater treatment facilities of the town of Mogilev require major repairs. It is necessary to replace the current pump installation and to equip the laboratory with up-to-date devices for the control of quality of incoming wastewater arriving for treatment as well as subsequently discharged from Mogilev wastewater treatment facilities following treatment.
All the above mentioned as well as some other issues are addressed in an architectural project for the construction of the fourth phase of the wastewater treatment facilities to increase its productive capacity to 100 thousand m³/day and the reconstruction of the functioning facilities. According to the project, the following components are scheduled to: replace gratings; modernize the primary clarifiers, reconstruct the grounds for drying sands; replace the aeration system with an up-to-date one; and reconstruct the final settling tanks. The planned production capacity of the first initial complex within the project is 25 thousand m³/day. It includes: construction of the inlet distributing chamber; providing an additional final settling tank; development of a new sludge circulating station; installation of SAW-ozone technology for treatment of wastewater arriving and discharged from the wastewater treatment facilities and implementation of a production control system. Completion of construction of the first starting complex is scheduled for 2005, however financial resources allocated at present are insufficient for this task.
11.2.3. Mitigation Measures
The principal measures aimed at elimination of the adverse impact of the most dangerous Hot Spots on biodiversity should be focused on the treatment of effluent discharged from wastewater treatment facilities. In that case the food chain of biodiversity as well as spawning and nesting areas in the floodlands will be gradually purified and biodiversity will be less exposed to man’s impact.
It is very important to prevent the reduction of natural habitat of fidgety cane (Acrocephalus paludicola) near the town of Bereza, which requires the ceasing of discharging insufficiently treated water into the Yaselda River.
It is necessary to implement measures to prevent a possible breach of the dyke of the sludge pits of Soligorsk potassium plant.
Measures should be implemented at all of the analyzed Hot Spots to ensure that discharge to the water bodies is sufficiently treated.
11.2.4. Non-Government Organizations
- To intensify control of the enforcement of environmental legislation.
- To establish groups of highly qualified specialists in the states of the Dnipro River basin in order to undertake an independent review and environmental monitoring of the water pollution and the effectiveness of mitigation measures, including facilities, technologies and processes.
- To undertake independent monitoring of the water quality discharged by the enterprises, including the monitoring of the quality and quantity of sludge generated.
- To establish public coordinating boards in the Republic of Belarus and in the countries of the Dnipro River basin in order to undertake an independent review of water protective technologies currently in force, water protective structures, designed and prospective undertakings.
- To modernize existing and commence development of new wastewater treatment facilities.
- To introduce up-to-date water treatment technologies.
- To develop and implement projects directed to the solution of critical environmental problems existing in the Hot Spots.
- To introduce a practice of notification of the general public regarding the situation at the Hot Spots and the corresponding environmental impact.
- To introduce a practice of notification of the general public regarding the quality of drinking water and emergency situations.
- To promote organization and the carrying out of public environmental review of the enterprises defined as the Hot Spots.
