A comprehensive modernisation of Czajka Wastewater Treatment Plant has significantly improved both the efficiency of the plant and the water environment in Warsaw. AVK has delivered 1,200 valves for the project.
Until 2013, Czajka Wastewater Treatment Plant, the largest in Poland located in capital city Warsaw, only handled wastewater from half of Warsaw and from the neighbouring city of Legionowo. The rest of the capital's wastewater was led directly into the Vistula River causing major environmental problems. After increased pressure from EU and due to Poland's growing population, Warsaw City Council decided to modernise Czajka Wastewater Treatment Plant.
In 2008, AVK won the order to produce the valves for this enormous project – in partnership with Veolia Water and Krüger. Today, the plant not only handles all the wastewater from the two cities. It is also geared to cope with a rapidly growing population, and boasts a central, intelligent control system which ensures more efficient operation overall.
Improved handling of sludge
Industry Department Manager Miroslaw Kopyta from AVK Armadan, our sales company in Poland, was our on-site project manager ensuring that all products were delivered on time. Throughout the construction phase, he worked as consultant on the technical solutions and equipment from AVK.
– After the refurbishment of the plant, particularly the handling of sludge has been improved. Previously, Czajka Wastewater Treatment Plant led the contaminated and untreated sludge out into fields, but heat treatment now ensures that organic materials are broken down and cleaned so that both odours and volumes are significantly reduced, explains Miroslaw Kopyta.
Can handle 435,000 m3 wastewater a day
For several years, the Vistula River, which runs through the Warsaw metropolis, was under pressure from the city's 2.1 million inhabitants producing more than 200,000 m3 of wastewater every day. But with the upgrade of Czajka Wastewater Treatment Plant, which has been designed to treat 435,000 m3 of wastewater a day – during peak periods up to 515,000 m3 – the local water environment has been secured for many years to come.
Intelligent control system
The comprehensive renovation project also involved a new and intelligent control system for all processes. The finished water treatment plant today employs 140 people who work in a hi-tech environment:
– We are now able to monitor all systems from the control room, and it is easy for us to locate any defects, explains Osinski Marcin from Czajka Wastewater Treatment Plant.
1,200 AVK valves
In close competition with several of the world's largest manufacturers, AVK won the order for nearly 1,200 valves for the plant. AVK supplied butterfly valves mainly used for aeration, ball check valves and swing check valves for use in the pumping stations, gate valves for clean water and automatic and manual knife gate valves for use in the treatment of sludge.
The treatment plant renovation project was started in 2008 and the construction was completed in April 2013.
Facts about the Czajka Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Czajka Wastewater Treatment Plant has been designed to treat 435,000 m3 of wastewater a day – during peak periods as much as 515,000 m3.
• The plant covers an area of 53 hectares.
• 1,500 men and 21 cranes worked on the construction.
• During construction, 24,000 tons of steel were used – three times more than the amount used for the Eiffel Tower – and 155,000 m3 of cement.
• On an average, 24 tons of sludge are produced an hour. This is equivalent to approximately 22 fully loaded trucks every day.
• The area has 60 kilometres of pipeline and seven kilometres of road