Sewage pumping station (SPS), which is being built in Astana near the Ishim River, has become a subject of dispute between local residents and district authorities.
According to Vlast.kz, residents fear that the station will pollute the river. Representatives of the Saryarka District Akimat, in turn, believe there is no cause for concern.
At another meeting involving residents of residential complexes near the construction site and Akimat employees, the main topic of discussion was the possibility of relocating the SPS.
The Director of ATE LLP, Alexander Tetyorkin, who is well-acquainted with the city's sewerage system, asked why a new station could not be built on the site of the existing SPS No. 1.
The Head of the Stormwater Drainage and Water Supply Department of the State Institution "Department of Public Utilities of Astana" (DPU), Irina Pershina, could not answer the question and advised contacting Astana Su Arnasy.
At the same time, a representative of the Research and Design Institute "AstanaGenplan" LLP reported that the construction of residential complexes had already been planned on the site of SPS No. 1, and therefore, allegedly, building a new station there was impossible.
As noted by the Chairman of the Board of the Association of Residents of Self-Regulating Condominiums "My Home", Talgat Tatikov, waste entering the river from the SPS could lead to undesirable consequences.
"There is a channel nearby that flows into the Ishim River. The capacity of the SPS is 2,500 cubic metres per hour, or 55,300 m³ per day. This does not account for shutdowns or emergency situations. If something happens tomorrow, it could lead to a catastrophe – a catastrophe for the Ishim River and all settlements, up to an international problem reaching Russia. After all, the sewerage system cannot be stopped with a tap or a valve. We need to think about this. It is a very serious issue that needs attention. Work must be suspended," said Talgat Tatikov.
In connection with this, he asked whether the distance between the SPS and the river complies with sanitary and environmental regulations, as well as water management standards.
DPU representative Irina Pershina replied that the SPS is located within the water protection zone of the Ishim River at a distance of 270 metres.
"The channel you are referring to is an artificially created storage pond for stormwater discharge. It is a stormwater channel, not a natural body of water," she said.
In response, Tatikov presented a site plan showing that the sanitary buffer is actually 9 times smaller, totalling only 30 metres.
In her defence, Pershina stated that the project had been approved by the Yesil Basin Inspection, and that the protection zone around this body of water is supposedly not regulated, as it is not a water body but a hydraulic structure.
At the same time, the Executive Director of the Republican Public Association "Union for the Protection of Consumers and Entrepreneurs 'Public Defender'", Saken Aldanazarov, noted that the conclusion of the Yesil Basin Inspection states that the plot allocated for the SPS is located in a zone of high flood risk.
"If you claim the distance from the Ishim River is 270 metres, but according to the Water Code it should be at least 500 metres, then that is an inaccuracy by a factor of two! If the Ishim floods, what could the consequences be? And I'm not even talking about the water protection zone and other standards you simply fail to mention," emphasised Saken Aldanazarov.
In conclusion, representatives of the Akimat promised to organise an official meeting next week, involving at least the Deputy Mayor, where this issue of extreme importance for the region's ecology and the future of the capital as a whole will be discussed again.