Construction work on the state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant (UPOV) in Vrbovec has begun

The opening of the works was attended by the Mayor of Vrbovec Denis Kralj, General Director of Hrvatske vode Zoran Đuroković, Deputy General Director Davor Vukmirić, Director of the Water Management Department for the Upper Sava Tomislav Suton, Director of Water Supply and Drainage of Zagreb County Tomislav Masten, as well as representatives of surrounding cities and municipalities and representatives of contractors and works supervision.

The General Director of Croatian Waters, Zoran Đuroković, emphasized that: "The Government of the Republic of Croatia has secured European and state budget funds to improve and build water and municipal infrastructure throughout Zagreb County. With seven agglomerations located in Zagreb County, we are currently exceeding half a billion euros in project value. This confirms our commitment to equal regional development and improving the quality of life of all citizens, regardless of where they live."

The total value of the project is 11.1 million euros, of which the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition and Croatian Waters participate in an equal ratio of 40 percent, and the Water Supply and Drainage of Zagreb County participates with 20 percent.

The project begins the construction of a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with a third stage of treatment and a device for solar sludge drying, which will significantly improve the quality of life and environmental protection in the Vrbovec area.

The planned WWTP consists of several complex buildings that form a single functional technological unit of the wastewater treatment and sludge treatment plant, as well as access roads and other infrastructure constructed for the needs of the WWTP.

The wastewater treatment plant consists of several functional units, and it includes an inlet pumping station and mechanical pre-treatment of wastewater, as well as tanks intended for biological treatment. Part of the system also includes a building for thickening and dehydrating sludge, as well as a facility for treating polluted air.

An administrative building will also be built as part of the WWTP, and a building for solar drying of sludge is also planned, while a canopy for storing the dried mass will be provided for sludge that is packed in large bags ("BIG-BAG").

The WWTP also includes a big bag filling station and a coagulant dosing and storage station. A separate section is also made up of a control container intended for solar drying.

The WWTP will have a capacity of 12,200 PE (population equivalent) and will accept all wastewater from the old and newly constructed drainage system. The WWTP discharges into the Lonja River via a six-km long drainage collector, which is also one of the works contracts for the Vrbovec agglomeration project, and whose construction is currently underway.