In the Chernihiv region, the sewage treatment facilities, which had been in a state of emergency for years and needed repair, burst in the village of Makoshine.
The accident happened on June 21, and utility workers promise to eliminate the surge in the near future, reports Suspilne.
It is noted that sewage treatment plants appeared in the community in 2006. Initially, the object was on the balance sheet of the village council, then it was transferred to the utility company Makoshinske, and in 2021 – to the KP Menakomunposluga.
According to local residents, gusts at buildings occur regularly.
Hanna Khovdiy, the ex-operator of the sewage treatment plant, said that the management of Menakomunposlug did not contact the workers.
"We proposed to make repairs, because everything is in a state of emergency, cleaning is in a very state of emergency. No one talked to us, no one came here. Once every six months, the superiors came, and then we forced him," she said.
The woman worked at the company for almost 20 years, but she was fired in May 2023.
Another former employee, Svitlana Kundrat, explained that the reception chamber, where all the impurities enter, broke through. No money was allocated for this object, even for the most necessary. In addition, the workers were not provided with either overalls or first-aid kits.
"I don't know how these cleaners exist," she emphasized.
Hovdiy added that in the air tanks, where it is happening artificial bioremediation and where sewage flows, bacteria should inhabit. Then this water flows into specially designated areas – maps. However, bacteria have not been used in buildings for a long time, apparently due to a lack of money. Impurities enter the ground and can contaminate water sources.
According to her, in 2021, people turned to the State Environmental Inspection of Chernihiv Oblast. After the inspection, the management had to eliminate all deficiencies. However, the work was never carried out.
In May 2023, Khovdiy again appealed to the eco-inspectors, but they refused the inspection due to restrictions due to martial law.
The director of "Menakomunposlug" Oleksandr Manzhula said that the sewage treatment plants were transferred to the balance sheet already in a bad condition. In almost two years, they were cleaned and the engines on the compressors were replaced. The enterprise is unprofitable, so it is impossible to do all the repair work at once.
He emphasized that there is no need to use bacteria on these structures. After all, they work only at 10% of their capacity. Bacteria die due to a small amount of impurities, and therefore a lack of necessary nutrients.
"All maps are simply overgrown with grass. Never during the 20 years of operation has sludge been removed there, because its quantity is very small," Manzhula said.
He added that in June 2023, they applied to the Chernihiv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Specialists conducted an analysis of air and water, which showed that there is no need to change water treatment technology.
According to Manzhul, the surge that occurred on June 21 will be eliminated in the near future.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that the Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure has published a draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers "On approval of the procedure for wastewater treatment in vulnerable zones". The document establishes stricter requirements for wastewater treatment in eco-vulnerable zones.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, it happened in Zhytomyr during a thunderstorm on June 20 burst sewer network, sewage from which flooded several private houses and entered the Teteriv River.
