Modern Technologies through Mutual Efforts

In 2004, in Kurortny district of Saint-Petersburg that is narrowly stretching along the Finnish Gulf for 56 km, 2004 a reconstruction of canalization and water sewage treatment systems that provide water disposal services for town of Sestroretsk and nearby territories was finished.

The cost of reconstruction was around 6 million EURO. Several sources of financing were involved - grants of Swedish and Finnish governments, as well as privilege credit of the North Investment Bank. Concomitant works were financed by St.Petersburg and the other main works were done by the Finnish company which was the general contractor. Also an independent control of the work was performed by the foreign companies: Finnish and Swedish.

Construction works started in August 2003. According to director of Sestroretsk "Vodokanal" Tatiana Fedyunina, one of the conditions of the project (reconstruction of sewage system and water purification systems) was performing works without stopping of general purification process. That is why during the renovation period settlings basin and other objects were working in turns.

During the reconstruction workshops for mechanical purification of sewage waters and settling dehydration were built. All major equipment was replaced, and technological process of sewage purification was automatized. Also reconstruction of general tanks was performed: primarily and secondary settling basins, aerotanks.

Now the Sestroretsk water purification systems the capacity of which is 17.1 thousand cubic meters per day, correspond to international standards of exploitation safety, economy and index of biogene purification. For example, according to standard HELCOM 16/9, during sewage purification nitrogen and phosphorus will be removed from it.

The main innovation introduced during reconstruction was ultraviolet sewage disinfection. That has a strong bactericidal effect towards different microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and mushrooms. The plan is working since January 2004 demonstrating high efficiency. All samples of water that went through ultraviolet disinfection correspond to the norms set by "hygienic requirements for surface waters preservation. Use of ultraviolet for processing of sewage has decreased pollution level of Kurortny district beaches and stopped negative effect of chlorine containing reagents on the Finnish Gulf.

We would like to express our gratitude to our friends from Finland and Sweden who helped small Baltic towns to introduce modern technologies, share their experience which will allow to provide guests and residents of our resort town with services that can be compared with services of European countries.