Environmental Protection of Lake Ohrid – Water Supply and Sewerage System Pogradec Phase I, II, III.

Start Date: 2005

End Date: 2015

The Lake Ohrid Environmental Protection Project has been successfully implemented and completed.

Developed in several successive phases starting with the city water supply from the year 2005 and phases I-III with sewage, 2 phases in the treatment plant, replenishment of water supply systems in rural areas surrounding the city.

The sewerage project was divided in three phases, which consisted of increasing protection measures to minimize pollution in Lake Ohrid from the sewerage in the town of Pogradec and surrounding villages.

The project consisted of the construction of the first phase wastewater treatment plant with the main collector and “1 Maji” pumping station. The second phase consisted in increasing the treatment capacity of the plant and chemical treatment of the final product by introducing into the system and the “Bucimas, Gurras” pumping station and water discharge to the plant and finalizing the construction of the sewerage network in the town and surrounding villages.

This project has taken measures to improve the potable water supply of the villages and minimize informality in use by providing connections to dwellings, installation of water meters, several potable water pump stations and reservoirs.

Project Challenges:

Confronting difficulties such as those with high water levels especially in lakeside areas, in-depth work and narrow areas, geological formations from sandy to hard rock, have been completed in time with the appropriate equipment and machinery and qualified personnel.

It is important to emphasise the establishment of the SCADA monitoring and control system of the entire sewer network and the latest investment in the treatment plant, as well as the completion of the latest water supply elements and the increase of capacity and replacement of existing equipment.

KfW-funded investments and AlbStar’s dedicated work, have had an immediate impact, positively impacting not only the environmental protection of Lake Ohrid but also improving the quality of life of area residents and enhancing tourism in the area.