Criticism of costs - Canal in Nonndorf: One million for 55 residents

The modernization of the wastewater treatment plant in Nonndorf near Raabs is to cost one million euros. A lot of money for a town with 55 inhabitants, criticizes mayor Josef Hauer.

do you still smoke

The project planned for 2023 includes the construction of a new sewage treatment plant and a conversion of the combined sewer to a separation system. "Our facility was inspected four years ago with a camera, which showed that it was still in good condition. Now the entire facility is to be rebuilt for the enormous sum of one million euros, although electricity, street lighting, Internet and a high-voltage line were only laid under the street two years ago. A prank and financially unaffordable for the residents,” Josef Hauer clarifies.

From his point of view, the real problem is not the combined sewer, but the sewage treatment plant itself, which has not been cleaned of sludge for over 30 years. "The water level in the settling tank is only a few centimeters, which means that proper clarification cannot take place," notes Josef Hauer. Despite decades of paying the canal fees, no maintenance was carried out.

The demand of Josef Hauer and the local residents is clear: The system should be renovated and maintained according to the regulations within a reasonable financial framework.

Criticism of costs - Canal in Nonndorf: One million for 55 residents

But it is precisely these regulations that are the problem, as City Office Director Herbert Hauer explains in an interview with NÖN: “The authorities will no longer approve a mixed water sewer when adapting or building a new system, but it is imperative to switch to a separation system.” The in The sewage disposal plant built between 1974 and 1976 was criticized a few years ago by the Waidhofen district authority as the responsible water law authority as no longer complying with the current specifications. The municipality was asked to adapt the system to the state of the art. And that is only possible in a “complete package”, Herbert Hauer clarifies.

Conversion sometimes means high costs

“For the local residents, this means that they have to separate rainwater and dirty water on their properties. The rainwater can be fed into the existing sewer, which is still adequate for this, but a second sewer has to be built for the dirty water," explains Herbert Hauer. Up to the property line, this is the task of the municipality or a sewage cooperative if a cooperative solution is chosen. On the ground itself, however, the residents must ensure the necessary separation of the waste water. "For some properties, this will probably involve considerable costs, and we are aware of that," admits Herbert Hauer.

But the city's hands are tied. "We even tried to make the sewage treatment plant bigger and leave the combined sewer in place, but the authorities are no longer approving that," notes the city director.

The separation system is prescribed because a better cleaning performance of a sewage treatment plant is achieved if it only has to clean the dirty water and is not additionally polluted by the rainwater.