In Priozersk, Karaganda Region, plans are underway to bring a sewage treatment plant into operation, construction of which began back in 2014. The facility is intended to solve a long-standing environmental problem in the town, where up to 7,000 cubic metres of wastewater are generated daily, which are still being discharged into settling tanks and open ponds.
According to 24.kz, the plant was originally scheduled to become operational in 2017, but due to rising equipment costs, legal disputes with contractors, and the pandemic, the project became a long-term construction.
"We had to take the contractor to court; we wanted to have them declared unreliable. The contract was terminated by mutual agreement. Then we announced a tender, and a company from Kyzylorda won. It also couldn't complete the work 100%, because the pandemic started. All the equipment was foreign. Then we also, within the law, took them to court and had them declared unreliable. The contract was terminated," said Temirkhan Aidarkhanov, Deputy Akim of Priozersk.
Currently, the facility is fully equipped with machinery from Belarus and Germany. It is expected that the plant will be capable of treating up to 8,000 cubic metres of wastewater per day. Treatment includes mechanical filtration, biological processing, and ultraviolet disinfection. After this, the water can be reused — for technical purposes and irrigation.
According to site supervisor Amanatay Imangaliyev, they also plan to produce fertiliser (biohumus) from biological waste for landscaping and agricultural needs.
The Akimat explained that after commissioning, the plant will be transferred to trust management, as funding its maintenance from the local budget has been deemed too costly.
Earlier, it was reported that repairs continue at Secondary School No. 9 in Kokshetau, which became problematic immediately after being brought into operation in 2023. Construction of the school complex began in 2016 and dragged on for seven years. According to local authorities, all work is now planned to be completed by 1 September.