The contribution ofSUE «Vodokanal of St. Petersburg»to Russia fulfilling the international commitments on theBaltic Marine Environment Protection

Summary

To meet the recommendations of the Helsinki Commission on the Baltic Marine Environment Protection the experts of SUE «Vodokanal of St. Petersburg» developed a 5–7 years rehabilitation program for the Ladoga and Onega Lakes basins. The program envisages construction of new or upgrade of the existing municipal and community wastewater treatment facilities; enhanced removal of toxic substances from wastewater at the industrial facilities; efficient processing of livestock and poultry farm wastes with the utilization of their useful properties and energy potential. The progress in implementing measures on abatement of discharging raw wastewater into the Gulf of Finland, upgrade and reconstruction of the wastewater treatment facilities, wastewater treatment efficiency improvement, particularly in relation to the technologies developed by the Universities of Cape Town (UCT) and Johannesburg (JHB) with the use of membrane aerators, mixers, nitrate recycling, and also to the European technology of chemical phosphorus precipitation is described. The dynamics of reducing nutrient loading on the St. Petersburg water bodies is presented. The positive effect of putting into operation the Main tunnel sewer has been achieved. The program of the municipal sewer rehabilitation has been developed and is now underway. The results of activities related to waste and toxic substances removal are presented. The works carried out will contribute to the prevention of the Gulf of Finland eutrophication.

Key words

sewer , biogenic elements , eutrophication , the Helsinki Commission , sludge incineration plant , geotubing