Extension of the waste water treatment plant at Glina in the Bucharest-Ilfov area of Romania’s Macroregion three is underway with EU support. The second phase of renovations to the main sewerage collection system running beneath the course of the Dâmbovița river is also being carried out as part of the project.
- 05 October 2017
Under phase two of the project, improvements are to be made to 51 km of main sewerage collection pipes and 30 km of secondary sewerage pipes. Work, which began under phase one, to reduce levels of fluid infiltration into the sewerage system and consequent dilution of the sewerage, , is to be completed.
Finalisation of the Glina waste water treatment plant includes upgrades to its sludge treatment facilities, notably through the construction of a sludge incinerator.
Cutting pollution and raising public health standards
The infrastructure covered by the project provides waste water collection and treatment services for Bucharest and the surrounding localities of Chiajna, Chitila, Glina, Jilava, Mogoşoaia, Otopeni, Pantelimon, Popeşti-Leordeni and Voluntari-Găneasa, all of which are situated in Ilfov County. It serves about 1.5 million people. The aim is to reduce environmental pollution and raise standards of public health.
Thanks to the work, the area will have a sustainable waste water collection and treatment system. The quality of effluent flowing into water bodies such as the Dâmbovița and Argeș rivers will be improved, as will that of the management of sludge produced during waste water treatment at the Glina plant. Consequently, the risk of uncontrolled discharge of untreated waste water will be minimised, with positive effects on the cleanliness of underground and surface water.
EU funding for both project phases
A total of in excess of EUR 390 million is to be spent on the second phase of the project, of which some EUR 196.5 million is supplied by the EU. EU funding for the first phase amounted to about EUR 6.6 million.
Capital and largest city of Romania, Bucharest has around two million people living within its urban area. It is surrounded by Ilfov County, and together, they make up the Bucharest-Ilfov development region. Ilfov County’s population is approaching 400 000. Three of the municipalities served by the system – Pantelimon, Popeşti-Leordeni and Voluntari-Găneasa – are among the most populous in the county and are located in the immediate outskirts of Bucharest. Pantelimon and Popeşti-Leordeni each have more than 20 000 inhabitants, while the population of Voluntari-Găneasa exceeds 40 000.
A tributary of the Argeș, the Dâmbovița river rises in the Făgăraș mountains, part of the Southern Carpathians, flows through Bucharest and has a length of 286 km, reaching the Argeș near Budești, in Călărași County, southern Romania. At 350 km long, the Argeș also has its source in the Făgăraș mountains. It flows into the Danube at Oltenița, on the Romanian-Bulgarian border.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Finalisation of Glina Waste Water Treatment Plant, rehabilitation of the main sewer collectors and of Dambovita sewer collector canal (CASETA) - Stage II” is EUR 390 404 609, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 196 459 342 through the “Large Infrastructure” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.