SUCCESSFUL REALISATION OF THE PROJECT OF WEST MORAVA – RZAV REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM
This year, JSC Energoprojekt Hidroinzenjering continued successful realisation of the projects for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, through the Republic Water Directorate.
In the previous four years, Mlava – Morava, Rasina – Pomoravlje, Lower South Morava (Toplica and Vlasina subsystems) regional water supply systems were successfully realised, and West-Morava-Rzav system was realised this year. The project required a multidisciplinary approach in Hidroinzenjering with predominant participation of hydraulic engineering, process engineering and economics professionals. It should be noted that the Project obtained approval from the Review Committee formed by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Belgrade University and the Institute of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering.
The objective of implementation of this Project is defining an optimum solution for the developmentof West Morava – Rzav regional water supply system that would enable supply or improved supply with high-quality drinking water to the citizens of the municipalities of the region and contribute to local socioeconomic development.
West Morava – Rzav regional system includes upper part of the catchment area of West Morava (upstream from Kraljevo) and catchment аreas of Lim and Uvac rivers. This area covers the biggest potential sources of high-quality water. Main water sources of the system are reservoirs: “Vruci” on Djetinja River, “Kokin Brod” and “Sjenica” on Uvac River, the water of which is guided into the catchment area of Rzav River,as well as to the reservoirs on Moravica, Skrapez, Kamenica, Cemernica and Dicini. The next image shows the municipalities and cities within the scope of the regional water supply system.
“Rzav” subsystem within West Morava – Rzav regional water supply system represents potentially the largest subsystem in Serbia that could be shown as two subsystems. Regional subsystem “Rzav I” supplies high-quality water to the settlements in municipalities: Arilje, Pozega, Lucani, Cacak and Gornji Milanovac. Regional subsystem “Rzav II” would provide additional quantities of high-quality water for settlementsin the catchment of Kolubara River and the city of Belgrade.
Water for “Rzav I” subsystem is abstracted from the flow of Rzav River on “Sevelj” Dam and purified in Rzav Water Treatment Plant, with capacity of 1,200 l/s. The plant with capacity of 650 l/s was commissioned in 1984. The image shows the current water abstraction and drinking water treatment plant.
Completion of the works on water supply system were supposed to coincide with completion of Arilje Dam with reservoir, which was to be a permanent water source of the regional water supply system “Rzav I”. The time schedule of preparation and construction of Arilje Dam did not follow the time scheduleof construction of water supply system.
Apart from the above main objectives, particular objectives would be: implementation of the program of water loss reduction, expansion of the existing system with construction of additional water supply systems on water sources, improvement of the quality of water, as well as adding of necessary elements into the existing water transmission system connecting the municipalities of the region (pumping stations, tanks, supervision and management system etc.), construction and reconstruction of sewer systems with provision of total sanitation of settlements.
On each assessment, the projects such as this one, prepared on the regional level (as required by the international conventions, adopted policies and water management strategies) have to include consultations and just satisfaction of all interested parties (subjects) and transparency in decision making. One of the objectives of the water sector of Serbia is meeting the requirements of EU Water Framework Directive, and development of water management infrastructure and operative management according to the existing regulations.
Construction of complex water systems, regional and / or multipurpose, including the reservoirs with multi-purpose function in the field of water utilisation, protection of water from pollution and protection from floodwater, will represent other activities for improvement of the water system on the territory of the Republic of Serbia. The strategic goal does consist of improvement of water system i.e. removaland temporal and spatial imbalance between available water resources and water demands, protectionof water from pollution and protection from floodwater, development of regional and multipurpose hydro systems. Supply of the population with drinking water from regional systems, apart from the great investments it requires, has multiple advantages, where safety in terms of provision of water from different sources (or even from different types of water sources) is particularly important.