Anyone who lives in a small town or village knows that some of the things that matter most to a community are the ones we rarely see. Wastewater management is a good example. When everything works as it should, we hardly give it a second thought, yet it is just as important as having access to clean drinking water. Thanks to an EU-funded project, wastewater collection and treatment systems have been modernised in 17 settlements across Baranya, Somogy and Vas counties in Hungary.
The wastewater development project in Western and Southern Transdanubia was designed to meet the specific needs of each settlement. In Ivánc and Csákánydoroszló, the sewer networks were expanded and new wastewater treatment plants were built. Existing facilities were upgraded in Barcs and Villány, while improvements in Nádasd and Katafa made wastewater treatment more effective. New sewer networks were installed in Pecöl, Bozzai, Kenéz and Megyehíd, connecting these settlements to the previously modernised wastewater treatment plant in Szombathely. In the area around Bük, the treatment plant was upgraded and new pipelines were laid to transport wastewater. Sewer networks were also extended in Vasszilvágy, Acsád, Meszlen and Vát. Overall, the investments focused on building new facilities, extending sewer networks and increasing the capacity of existing systems to provide residents with safer, more environmentally friendly wastewater management.
As a result, wastewater services in the affected areas now reach almost all households and other users connected to the public drinking water supply. The improvements also help Hungary meet EU requirements for wastewater collection and treatment, which was one of the project’s main objectives. Much of the work may remain hidden from view in everyday life, but its benefits will be felt for years to come through a cleaner environment, more reliable infrastructure and better places to live.
For smaller communities, these improvements make a particularly important difference. Proper wastewater treatment protects rivers, streams, groundwater and soil, reduces pollution and improves residents’ quality of life. After all, this is about the streams running through our villages, the water in our wells and the soil in our gardens. Most importantly, it is about leaving a cleaner, healthier environment for our children – something that people in all 17 settlements can now look forward to.
The development was implemented from EU funding in the project KEHOP-2.2.2-15-2016-00105 under the Environmental and Energy Efficiency Operational Programme.
Find out more about the project in the Project Finder: Details
