Reconstruction of biological treatment plants in Kazan is carried out by 65%

The reconstruction of biological treatment plants is underway in Kazan – large-scale work has been completed by almost 65%. The first stage of reconstruction is being completed, 27 facilities were built and renovated. Alongside the work of the second stage has begun – they cover 11 more facilities. It is planned to complete the reconstruction of the treatment plants by 2024 – this will improve the quality of urban wastewater treatment and increase the volume of wastewater received.

Today, the progress of the work was inspected by the Mayor of the city Ilsur Metshin. He reminded that the Kazan biological treatment plants were built in 1974 and served for half a century and the level of wear was 80%. “Thanks to the support of the federal center and the leadership of Tatarstan, we have started reconstruction but in fact, this is a new construction, just on the existing site. It is important that we started this work ahead of time,”- the head of the city noted.

The Mayor added that after the implementation of the project, the treatment plants will receive 650 thousand cubic meters of water every day instead of today's 450 thousand, and the quality of water returned to the Volga will improve thanks to new equipment and technologies.  “We have reached halfway completion point. Next year we plan to complete the construction and put it into operation. Kazan will receive reliable treatment facilities and the prospect of decades of construction of housing, social infrastructure and commercial enterprises,”- the Mayor said.

The first stage of reconstruction began in 2021. During this time, the builders have renovated 13 facilities and built14 more. Ilsur Metshin visited the new sand dewatering building. Andrey Egorov, General Director of the Municipal Unitary Enterprise Vodokanal, said that here sand is separated from water and organic content by using washing equipment. The new equipment can treat to 540 tons of sand per month.

The first stage of work covered aeration tanks – important components of the treatment plants, where biochemical water treatment takes place. Three new facilities are currently operating, and another one will be launched soon. The new aeration tanks are equipped with a high–class equipment. “The design of aeration tanks has been changed by almost 70% – the scheme of water movement has been updated: previously it passed 150 meters, now it is almost half a kilometer. The longer the water stays in the aeration tanks, the better it is cleaned,”- explained project manager Alexander Zyankin. In total, 13 aeration tanks will operate in the treatment plants, the length of each of them will be 156 m.

The first stage of reconstruction is planned to be completed in December. By this time, three more aeration tanks will be launched, a channel of treated wastewater will be built and the blower station will be updated. As part of the second stage, eight primary and secondary settling tanks, aeration tanks, a bar screen building and a pumping station for industrial water will be reconstructed. In addition, the sand trap, 16 settling tanks, 7 aeration tanks and a bar screen building are being modernized. The complete reconstruction is planned to be completed in 2024.

For reference, the biological treatment plants launched the first line of thermomechanical treatment of sludge in Russia. This allowed the city to completely abandon the use of silt fields. In 2022, the line produced 18 thousand tons of granulate from 73 thousand tons of sludge, which is used as biofuel.