Rimini twinned with Trieste, to defend the Adriatic Sea. The sewage remediation intervention of the Rimini Seaside Protection Plan, the largest currently underway in Italy, lands in Friuli Venezia Giulia, setting the stage for the adaptation of the Servola purifier which is coming to life in these days. The start of construction work on the third section of the new purifier, scheduled for these days, was presented this morning at a press conference attended by the councilor for the environment of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Sara Vito, the mayor of Trieste Roberto Cosolini, the councilor for the environment of the province of Trieste Vittorio Zollia and the CEO of Hera Stefano Venier.
The new Servola treatment plant (190 population equivalent served) will be "intelligent", ie capable of listening to the sea and regulating its activity on the basis of the needs expressed by the Adriatic. The important result is the result of the intense collaboration of the last few months between AcegasApsAmga (company of the Hera Group), FVG Region, Municipal and Provincial Administrations and Port Authority, which made it possible to overcome numerous bureaucratic steps and to obtain the award of the works. The project provides for the introduction of a innovative technology which will allow balancing the intensity of water treatment according to the state of the Adriatic.
Constant monitoring of the quantity of nutrients present in the sea will be activated in collaboration with the Experimental Geophysical Observatory: based on the results and, therefore, on the needs expressed at a given moment by the sea, the Control Authorities will be able to determine the intensity of the reduction of nutrients, always guaranteeing the perfect balance of the marine ecosystem of the Gulf of Trieste. The entry into operation is scheduled for January 2017, resulting stopping the procedure Community infringement to which Italy has been subjected since 2008, for over a hundred plants including the one in Trieste. The works will then continue for another year, until the final conclusion by 2018.
This new step forward in the North East is part of the wider one commitment of the multi-utility in favor of the Northern Adriatic, overlooked by many of the territories in which the Group is active. This is a significant environmental plan, which in addition to the one on Rimini also sees interventions on Padua and which is almost moving 230 million euros of investments. In addition to the environmental value, the plan is also capable of positively impacting the tourist economies of the areas served, which derive value and wealth from well-protected water. The 3 projects are also being illustrated in these days at an Infopoint at the Barcolana in Trieste (7-11 October), the traditional sailing regatta that AcegasApsAmga will help make more sustainable by dealing with separate waste collection.
A Rimini the Plan implemented by the Municipality, Hera, Romagna Acque and Amir envisages investments of 154 million euro and has been proceeding at full capacity since the second half of 2013: works have already been started for around half of the total planned investments. A colossal project with 130 people at work every day to ensure full compliance with the timing of the interventions which, in 2020, will make it possible to eliminate discharges into the sea (halving them as early as next year) and to count on 130 cubic meters of new accumulation volumes, 45 km of new sewage pipes for purify 148 cubic meters of water per day.
As part of this project, the new purification plant in Santa Giustina, serving the city, which has thus become the largest in Europe with membrane ultrafiltration technology. It is a highly innovative and avant-garde structure which is now able to serve 560 population equivalent. A further 30 million euro project will soon be launched for Rimini, consisting of the construction of a lamination tank and one to collect rainwater in the heart of the city, with a positive impact also on street furniture.
The Hera Group, again through AcegasApsAmga, is also engaged in the significant adjustment of the Cà Nordio purifier, which serves the area of Padova, for a total of 200 population equivalent, always insistent on the Adriatic Basin. The work in progress, which will be completed by 2016, thanks to the use of innovative technologies, will make it possible to optimize the purification processes and energy efficiency of the old treatment lines.
