EU funds for the discharge and treatment of wastewater in the Soča river basin
Ljubljana, 21 December 2012 –The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MEDT), as the Managing Authority for the EU structural funds and the Cohesion Fund, issued a decision granting EU funds for the discharge and treatment of wastewater in the Soča river basin. The project, which is worth over 48.8 million Euros and is foreseen to close by the end of 2015, will be co-financed by the Cohesion Fund in the amount of over 28.1 million Euros.
Three municipalities in the Soča river basin, namely Nova Gorica, Šempeter-Vrtojba and Miren-Kostanjevica, joined forces for the realisation of the project, which is part of the Operational Programme for the Development of the Environmental and Transport Infrastructure for the period 2007–2013.
The area still does not have a proper discharge and treatment of wastewater neither a central system of treating municipal sewage. There is only a mixed sewerage system in the area of Nova Gorica, Solkan and Kromberk which discharges wastewater uncontrollably into the surroundings. In certain segments the individual parts of the sewerage system are inadequate or in ruins; in certain areas of the settlements the sewerage system has not yet been built. It is therefore necessary to regulate the discharge and treatment of wastewater.
In the framework of the investment a central wastewater treatment plant will be constructed in Nova Gorica with the capacity of 50,500 population units and 18.7 kilometres of sewerage system with the belonging facilities (27 facilities for disburdenment, 12 pumping stations and 4 retention pools). The realisation of the project will increase the number of inhabitants who are connected to the public sewerage system (6,410 population units) and improve the quality of the water and ground. This will decrease the quantity of harmful substances in the water (for 41,686 population units) which will contribute to the improvement of living and health conditions of the inhabitants. With the adequate sewerage system the municipal wastewater will be adequately discharged into the treatment plant which will prevent the uncontrolled discharge into the surroundings.
