Water problem for Salavat Kupere to be solved with new scheme
The residential complex will be connected to Tatarstan’s unique unit created by Kazanorgsintez
Kazan faces water supply problems more often. Networks get older and become obsolete. Their replacement, moreover, the launch of new water supply facilities don’t keep up with the development of the city. Collapses under main water pipelines and accidents late last year are evidence of this. In this tough situation, large enterprises creating their own water supply systems take up a part of the burden. Kazanorgsintez became such a water donor for Salavat Kupere. The project of a new water treatment unit turned out to be unique for Tatarstan both due to its scheme and the eco-friendly water treatment system.
Second in Russia, first in Tatarstan
A new water treatment unit is due to be launched in Kazan in March. The autonomous unit with a capacity of 40,000 cubic metres of water a day with its own treated water reservoir for 8,000 cubic metres is a unique facility for Tatarstan. The scheme of the facility itself is its first peculiarity. Nowadays just only one similar water treatment unit created according to a project of Lenvodokanalproyekt institute operates in Russia. It is located in Kaliningrad.
“All structures needed to be built on a limited area. A scheme with the reservoir placed underground and treatment facilities above it, the building was higher was chosen. In a usual scheme, all facilities are scattered on the area,” explained shop foreman of Treatment Facilities and Water Network of Kazanorgsintez Rashid Mulekhov.Kazanorgsintez PJSC (a part of SIBUR) built the new complex only with its own money but it will supply water to not only the production but also the residential complex Salavat Kupere.
“That area doesn’t have other sources of potable water of due quality nearby. Network laying by Vodokanal water supply service would need a lot of money, which was recognised unfeasible with the existing capacities of Kazanorgsintez PJSC,” the choice of precisely KOS as drinking water supplier for the microdistrict was explained in the Kazan Executive Committee.
Ecologists: “The system of Kazanorgsintez is very promising and necessary”
A two-step treatment technology was chosen for the necessary water quality:
“Water from the waterbody comes to the faucets where coagulants and flocculants (Editor’s note: non-organic salts binding particles of sediment in a liquid) are added, then water is clarified with a layer of weighed sediment, goes for treatment to filters loaded with sand and hydro-antracite, a special fraction coal,” Mulekhov explained.
Not dangerous liquid chloride is used to disinfect water in the enterprise (Editor’s note: second class danger) but safer sodium hypochloride. Moreover, it is added only at the final treatment stage. This is another peculiarity of the water treatment unit. Such a treatment system had been tested in Kazanorgsintez’s operating plants, in a unit consisting of two water treatment sections with a capacity of 50,000 cubic metres a day each. In 2017, the enterprise built a sodium hypochloride preparation pant. Low-concentrate hypochloride solution is made there via electrolyse based on food salt.
Director of the Institute of Environment and Nature Use of Kazan Federal University, Doctor of Biological Studies, Professor Svetlana Selivanovskaya considers such a water treatment scheme promising:
“Talking about chloride compounds that are used in water disinfection, chloride added to the water that wasn’t removed organic compounds acts with these organic compounds creating chlorinated organic, which is much more dangerous than chloride itself. And it is not only chloroforms but also much more complex compounds. So the system of Kazanorgsintez uses all available possibilities of effective water treatment that are available today, including the replacement of chloride, it is very promising and necessary. But only if the technology is followed,” she commented on the choice of KOS for Realnoe Vremya.
The operation of the scheme in the first units illustrated that the amount of impurities in the water treated this way is below the allowed content.
“The water quality is controlled by certified laboratories according to current norms and rules. Russia’s consumer rights protection watchdog and other authorised agencies oversee it. The quality of water complies with all existing norms and requirements for drinking water,” the Executive Committee of Kazan confirmed the absence of any complaints about the quality of water supplied by KOS for Realnoe Vremya.
Kazan’s water supply infrastructure needs 65 billion
The new water treatment unit of Kazan came in handy. Problems with the city’s water supply are growing. The annual water supply of Kazan already totals 100 million cubic metres. Moreover, another 2,755 square metres of housing plans to be delivered in Tatarstan in 2022 alone. A considerable part of new builds are i Kazan. If the situation isn’t critical, it is very close to be so.
At a recent meeting of the republic’s Committee for Tariffs, Director of Vodokanal Andrey Yegorov talked about the problems of the city’s water supply system. He noted that more than 70% of networks belonged to the enterprise, they are old and in emergency state. By preliminary estimates, approximately over 65 billion rubles are needed to restore the water supply infrastructure in the Tatarstan capital, of which 40 are needed just to replace the networks. Only 200 km of thousands of kilometres of pipelines have been replaced in the last 10 years.
Of course, new residential complexes also have problems, they are often built on an empty field.
“Salavat Kupere is a young and developing district that annually welcomes new residents. In the last few years, new blocks of flats have been built, social infrastructure has grown, 8 new kindergartens, two lyceums and a school have appeared. Besides infrastructure, it is very important to provide the residents with resources for a comfortable life, first of all, good drinking water. It is great that such a water treatment unit will appear in our district. It will allow providing more than 30,000 people with good and clean water,” head of the administration of Kirovsky and Moskovsky Districts of Kazan Sergey Mironov.
Investments in water and environment
The cost of the new treatment unit of Kazanorgsintez is assessed at 735 million rubles of KOS’s own money. The works began in 2018. They ended in 2022, while the unit is ready for launch. The company explains that it is just one clause of a big programme and the general environmental policy.
“The development vector of Kazanorgsintez is designed to modernise existing and launch new production capacities with the simultaneous reduction of the environmental impact. This fully complies with the ESG strategy that is in the foundation of SIBUR’s development. The new water treatment complex not only meets the highest environmental standards but also plays an important social role providing the residents with clean drinking water,” Galina Khristoforova who is responsible for environment at SIBUR expressed her opinion.
After the project ends and the new part of water treatment is launched, Kazanorgsintez can start modernising its existing capacities. Each of two sections is given two years. With the general installed capacity, the fully updated production will be put into operation again by 2025. It is planned to use all the latest technologies that have already been used in the new unit.