Introduction - Strona główna | FUNDACJA SENDZIMIRA · Web viewFigure 1.Schematic diagram of...
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THE SENDZIMIR FOUNDATION CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN POLAND The report Sustainable wastewater management in Gmina Zawoja 1
Transcript of Introduction - Strona główna | FUNDACJA SENDZIMIRA · Web viewFigure 1.Schematic diagram of...
THE SENDZIMIR FOUNDATION
CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN POLAND
The report
Sustainable wastewater management in
Gmina Zawoja
Mogilany-Zawoja 2009
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Table of contents
Table of figures...........................................................................................................................................5
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................6
1. Wastewater management – present status and possible solutions- technological descriptions and comparisons................................................................................................................................................8
1.1. Introduction...............................................................................................................................8
1.2. Centralized wastewater management system vs. decentralized.............................................9
1.3. Different types of household wastewater treatment plants..................................................14
1.3.1. Infiltration............................................................................................................................14
1.3.2. Biological bed......................................................................................................................14
1.3.3. Active sludge.......................................................................................................................15
1.3.4. With use of plants...............................................................................................................15
1.3.5. Reed bed..............................................................................................................................15
1.4. Phytosystem wastewater treatment plants............................................................................16
1.5. Conclusions..............................................................................................................................19
2. Environmental Impact......................................................................................................................20
2.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................20
2.2. Current state of the environment – water issues...................................................................20
2.3. Environmental impact.............................................................................................................22
2.4. Centralized system characterization.......................................................................................25
2.5. Comparison of environmental impact of centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment systems................................................................................................................................27
2.6. Summary..................................................................................................................................29
3. The hydrological cycle......................................................................................................................31
3.1. Overview..................................................................................................................................31
3.2. Zawoja local hydrological cycle description and water resources..........................................34
3.3. Influence on the hydrological cycle.........................................................................................37
3.4. Summary..................................................................................................................................41
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4. ECONOMIC ASSESMENET. POTENTIAL SOURCES OF FINANCING....................................................42
4.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................42
4.2. Economical feasibility of both methods and comparison.......................................................42
4.3. Risk assessment and environmental cost of centralized and decentralized wastewater systems49
4.4. Funding possibilities for the investment.................................................................................54
4.5. Conclusions and recommendations:.......................................................................................58
5. Social acceptance and expectations................................................................................................60
5.1. Demographic situation, spatial aspects and education in Zawoja..........................................60
5.2. Governance, communication and social participation problems in Zawoja community. The current situation...................................................................................................................................62
5.3. Why to involve local people in the process, the role of the local population........................66
5.4. Action Plan for rising awareness of the local community and getting them involved in the decision-making process.......................................................................................................................67
5.5. Summary:.................................................................................................................................72
6. Sustainable water management in Zawoja and the local development.........................................73
6.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................73
6.2. General introduction to Zawoja’s economic activities, special emphasis on tourism and farming sectors.....................................................................................................................................73
6.3. Sectoral wastewater emissions and potential actions............................................................75
6.4. Local strategy of development for both Zawoja and Małopolska region...............................76
6.4.1. Strategy of Sustainable Development for Gmina Zawoja 2005-2025.................................77
6.4.2. Local Strategy for Development of Podbabiogórze in Powiat Suski...................................77
6.4.3. Regional Strategy for Innovation in the Malopolska Region 2008-2013...........................78
6.5. Impact of water management on the local economy with focus on tourism........................81
6.5.1. Importance of water resources and its management in local economy with special regard to tourism 81
6.5.2. Impact of tourism on environment.....................................................................................81
6.5.3. Impact of centralized wastewater treatment on tourism in Zawoja.................................82
6.5.4. Impact of decentralized wastewater treatment on tourism in Zawoja.............................82
6.5.5. Possibilities of tourism development in Zawoja – ecotourism, agrotourism.....................833
6.6. Other areas of local development...........................................................................................83
6.6.1. Education & cooperation with educational institutions.....................................................83
6.6.2. Student interhships in Zawoja - proposals..........................................................................83
6.6.3. Development of local business...........................................................................................86
6.6.4. Cooperation with Sister-Regions of Zawoja........................................................................87
6.6.5. Autonomous Buildings........................................................................................................88
6.7. Summary..................................................................................................................................89
7. Summary of the report.....................................................................................................................90
Annex nr 1. See the next page..................................................................................................................91
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Table of figures
Figure 1.Schematic diagram of centralized wastewater collection and treatment (off-site)......................................10
Figure 2. Schematic diagram of decentralized wastewater management (on-site) a) subsystem for residential and commercial center; (b) subsystems for residential neighborhoods; (c) subsystems for industrial development; (d) subsystem for individual residence; (e) subsystem for new development; (f) subsystems for establishments or clusters of homes;......................................................................................................................................................13
Figure 3. Reed bed ....................................................................................................................................................16
Figure 4. Phytosystem................................................................................................................................................18
Figure 5. Comparison: centralized system vs. Phytosystem.......................................................................................19
Figure 6. The percentage of disapproved water samples (due to the quality) in Suski powiat in years 1999 – 2001.21
Figure 7. Stages of wastewater treatment process....................................................................................................23
Figure 8. Centralized wastewater management system............................................................................................27
Figure 9. Comparison of environmental performance of centralized and decentralized systems.............................29
Figure 10. Hydrological cycle......................................................................................................................................32
Figure 11. The hydrological network of Babia Góra (within the Babiogórski Park area) ...........................................36
Figure 12. Construction costs of sewage system and wastewater treatment plant...................................................44
Figure 13 Total costs of Centralized System and Phytosystem...................................................................................46
Figure 14 Forecast of operation costs assuming 5% discount rate during next 25 years in Gmina Zawoja................48
Figure 15. Environmental valuation model................................................................................................................49
Figure 17. Categories of Environmental Values (adapted from Spurgeon 1998.........................................................51
Figure 18. Environmental Valuation Methods............................................................................................................51
Figure 19. Number of citizens divided by place.........................................................................................................61
Figure 20. Age structure In Zawoja and Skawina .......................................................................................................62
Figure 21. Voter turnout in Zawoja...........................................................................................................................64
Figure 22. Monthly number of guests in a hostel (source: Lamorski & Dabrowski)...................................................74
Figure 23. Number of livestock in year 2000 (source: Lamorski & Dabrowski)..........................................................74
Figure 24. Wheat fertilizer requirements...................................................................................................................75
Figure 25. Wastewater components (source: Henze et al. 2008)...............................................................................75
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Abstract
Zawoja, the biggest village in Poland is facing now a big challenge – the authorities have decided to
undertake an ambitious project of providing a whole community with an effective and modern wastewater
treatment system, a system without which any community can’t exist. Today’s situation isn’t optimistic –
only about 11% of households is connected to the centralized system, which in addition is old and needs
modernization. Other are equipped with so called “septic tanks” - devices which constitute a huge risk for
the environment, since they are leaking and additionally many of the inhabitants illegally pump the
wastewater out of them in search of money saving. When thinking about a possible solution of this
situation, the local authorities have decided to take into account two possible systems of wastewater
treatment – a traditional, centralized and a decentralized one. After analyzing diverse types of
decentralized technologies they decided to compare the centralized system with the innovative type of
constructed wetlands – provided by Phytosystem from Sweden. A detailed study examining which
solution is better for Zawoja is needed. The following report is trying to give the answer to this question.
Poland as a Member State of the European Union has the duty to comply with the internationally agreed
standards in each field of common european policy so in environmetal protection as well. This allows the
country to apply rights e.g. receive financial support on the national and local level as well through
participation in EU projects but on the other hand also has to fulfil it’s obligations. One of these
obligation is to reach the required water quality level by 2015. In a case of failing to meet this standard
Poland, and consequently its local authorities and so its citizens, also have to bear the consequencies, e.g.
fine for pollution, reduced access to EU sources of funding for future development projects, etc. The
necessity of creating an immediate action plan is based on this duty. The switch to an EU compatible
environmentally friendly wastewater treatment system is unavoidable. The cost of the omission (realized
in fines) could be expended on its prevention by the creation of an economically, socially and
environmentally beneficial system. The next 5 years is a short term to meet these standards. Systematic
steps are needed to be undertaken by applying holistic approach. The following study will analyze the
present situation and will show the possible ways of solution.
Domestic wastewater should be purified because bacteriological pollution from so called black water can
cause number of diseases and nutrients in wastewater can have a bad impact on ecosystems, because they
cause the eutrophication which can lead to the lack of oxygen in water ecosystems.
In this report different wastewater technologies are described, to make it the most useful for the local
authorities we’re mainly focusing on the comparison of centralized system and non-centralized
Phytosystem. We mainly take into account
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Sustainable principles and values while providing the detailed analyze of these systems.
The report “Sustainable Water Management in Zawoja” is trying to address the current wastewater
situation in the area of the Gmina from several perspectives. In the beginning the present situation and
problems with water management in the area are being described together with possible solutions. The
chapter further offers an overview of possible decentralized system solutions as well as short description
of other relevant best cases from Poland and abroad.
Second part examines the current situation from the environmental point of view. First the current state of
the environment is described with the emphasis on water, soil, air and current wastewater management.
Afterwards, the chapter offers a clear comparison of two possible options – centralized and decentralized
system. Both systems are analyzed on basis of their environmental impact and recommendations from
environmental perspective are offered.
The aim of the third chapter is to acquaint the reader with the idea of the hydrological cycle. It offers a
definition and description of the local hydrological cycle and tries to compare both types of solutions on
the basis of their influence on hydrological cycle.
Next part of the report is addressing the economical aspects of the situation. It comprises not only from
economical feasibility of both methods but tries to address the risks, environmental costs as well as
funding possibilities for the investment.
Social acceptance and expectations are covered in chapter five. First demographic situation and its impact
on demand for wastewater management services is described. Furthermore, the problems with
communication and social participation in Zawoja community as well as reasons why local community
should be involved more and the role of local people are presented.
The last chapter addresses the influence that the sustainable water management in Zawoja could have on
economic development in the region. It focuses mainly on the benefits of the decentralized system
through which tourism in Zawoja could prosper.
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1. Wastewater management – present status and possible solutions- technological descriptions and comparisons.
1.1. Introduction
The connection between wastewater and overall sustainability is closer than it may seem to be at the first
glance. With the increasing of humankind activities and level of production, there is less and less water
resources left on our Planet. It is clear that all wastewater produced by human activities – from crop-
production, raising of livestock, laboratories and workshops, kitchens, showers, laundries and toilets –
must be recycled safely back into the overall water cycle. In a materially-closed system, there is only a
finite quantity of materials. The Earth’s biosphere is materially-closed and scientists know that the long-
duration of its evolving biosphere is a reflection of the ability of its life systems to complete critical
cycles.
These are called the global biogeochemical cycles since at the scale of the Earth there are vast buffers
(e.g. the atmosphere, oceans, and geologic depths) and complex pathways between processes that are
primarily life-driven and those that involve the Earth’s geology, climate and chemical processes. But the
essential point is the same – cycling or as we now term it “recycling” is essential to keep resources
available for the maintenance and evolution of life on this planet.
In Poland, wastewater treatment is a very serious problem. According to statistical data, only 53.1% of
the population is serviced by wastewater treatment plants. On one hand, water is supplied to 91.5% of
population in cities and 30% of population in rural areas. On the other hand, only 83% and 9.9% of these
populations respectively is serviced by wastewater treatment plants.1 The worst situation is in the rural,
sparsely built-up areas. Small, isolated communities have difficulties in building and maintaining highly
technical wastewater treatment systems. Very often, traditional treatment plants are not maintained
because of financial problems or the treatment plants are not operated professionally. As a consequence,
wastewater remains untreated or is cleaned insufficiently. These problems become especially important in
areas with important natural resources such as conservation areas, national parks and Biosphere Reserves.
In this chapter we will review the possible solutions for the wastewater treatment that can be applied to
the village of Zawoja, located in the south of Poland. For many years the village did not have the
centralized system of the wastewater treatment and the only way of treating the sewage was using septic
tanks which every inhabitant of the village had. However, this practice showed its inefficiency due to
many factors. The most harmful for the environment aspect of that practice are leaking tanks, which
damages soil and ground waters, as well as pollutes the local river.
1 Paper for International Conference on Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems, Environmental Technology Centre, Murdoch University, Fremantle, W.A. 10-12 July 2006
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After introducing in Gmina Zawoja the centralized wastewater treatment system, only 11% of Zawoja’s
inhabitants are connected to this system and started to use it. However, the rest of people either don’t
know about this system or prefer to control their wastewater in their households.
That is why here we will describe the benefits of two alternatives to the existing system of septic tanks:
the centralized wastewater treatment system (canalization) and the new PhytoSystem, which is an
example of the decentralized sewage treatment system. Implementing in Zawoja one of these two options
for reusing wastewater would benefit to more than just one village. The community of Zawoja should be
aware that rivers which go through this Gmina flow also to other territories and therefore it is in the
common interest of the region to see the rivers clean and the water suitable for drinking.
Domestic wastewater contains grey-water from washing dishes, washing and bathing and toilet water
urine and faces. A major part of the nutrients originates in the urine. Grey water contains nutrients in
small amounts, with the exception of phosphorus. The average amount of grey-water is about 150 liters
per person and day. The phosphorus content of grey-water depends on the use of phosphate detergents.
When no phosphate detergents are used, the phosphorus content is estimated at 0.15 grams per day. When
mainly phosphate detergents are used, the content is estimated at 1.0 grams per day. The main bad impact
of nutrients is eutrophication of water, which leads to a lack of oxygen. (Ryden Lars, Water use and
management, 2000)
Microorganisms, which are transmitted by a faecal route, have the potential to cause infection diseases
through the ingestion of drinking water. The fundamental principle for providing microbiologically safe
drinking water is therefore to exclude excremental contamination from the water supply and to prevent
subsequent contamination of the treated water. In order to secure safe water it is important to use different
barriers against microbiological infection. (Ryden Lars, Water use and management, 2000 )
1.2. Centralized wastewater management system vs. decentralized
The traditional wastewater management concept (urban wastewater collection system plus treatment of
the wastewater in a central treatment plant) has been successfully applied over many decades in densely
populated areas of industrialized countries. Whether this technology is of ultimate wisdom must be
questioned, especially considering the urgent need for improved sanitary infrastructures in many
countries or regions. The problem is that the costs for implementing a centralized system, in particular the
investment costs for the sewer system are very high. Decentralized wastewater management systems,
with the wastewater treated close to where it is generated, are being considered by various researchers
and institutions including the World Bank as an alternative to the traditional centralized system. The
degree of technological sophistication that should be applied is under dispute, however in this paper, we
consider the application of high-tech on-site treatment plants, designed and fabricated by modern
industrial methods called Phytosystem.
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Centralized wastewater management system
Centralized wastewater management consists of: (1) centralized collection system (sewers) that collects
wastewater from many wastewater producers: households, commercial areas, industrial plants and
institutions, and transports it to (2) centralized wastewater treatment plant in an off-site location outside
the settlement, and (3) disposal/reuse of the treated effluent, usually far from the point of origin.
Figure 1.Schematic diagram of centralized wastewater collection and treatment (off-site)
Centralized wastewater management - as the preferred choice of planners and decision makers, is often
applied also to smaller communities. However, as planning wastewater treatment on the basis of the
administrative boundaries of small municipalities is rarely reasonable, regional or inter-municipal
cooperation for that purpose can create major financial gains – as wastewater management and
infrastructure enjoys economies of scale, and offers a strong option for municipalities. In this case
wastewater is transported from several adjacent communities to a centralized treatment plant that is
constructed to serve them all. Thus, centralized wastewater management – either for large cities,
secondary towns, or few smaller communities, is the conventional strategy. It is applied for most cities
and towns in the industrialized countries and is the preferred choice of most planners and decision makers
in other countries as well.
Although traditionally cost-effectiveness of various wastewater treatment alternatives is commonly
evaluated prior to selecting a treatment technology, alternatives for wastewater collection systems are
rarely considered. The collection systems available today are the conventional system and the
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unconventional systems. The conventional system goes back to the historical development of wastewater
management. It can be combined system or separate system. Combined systems carry sewage and storm
water (urban run-off) at the same conduit. Separate systems transports storm water in water drains and
sewage in sanitary sewers. The conventional system is commonly used (hence “conventional”) without
consideration of alternatives. Its construction costs are high because it requires a minimum depth for
protection against traffic loads, a minimum slope to avoid sedimentation of solids, and a minimum
diameter to avoid blockage. Thus, it accounts for 80-90% of the total capital cost of the collection and
treatment facility. Another problem of the conventional collection system is that these systems are
waterborne and use water as a transportation medium. Without water, sewer systems can rapidly block.
Thus, they require adequate and reliable water supply system and consumption of more than 100
liters/cap/day. In water-scarce regions these systems may be inappropriate due to large usage of fresh
water, whereas in other places inadequate water supply systems alone will preclude the possibility of
reliable conventional systems.
Less costly but equally effective alternatives to the conventional collection systems have been developed.
These systems, developed to address the need for cheaper collection alternatives, are being used in
various places, mainly in the developing world, and have been shown to be successful and to significantly
reduce wastewater facility costs. These “unconventional” systems have only recently been seriously
considered. They include, for example, settled sewerage and simplified sewerage. Settled sewerage, also
known as small bore sewerage, is a sewerage system that is designed to receive only the liquid portion of
household wastewater. Solids are removed in as interceptor tank, which is part of the household
connection, prior to discharge to the sewer. The clarified effluent flows by gravity into the sewers, which
are designed as gravity fluid conduits. The settled sewerage costs are lower than the conventional
systems, mainly due to shallow excavation depths, use of small diameter pipe work and simple inspection
chambers. The interceptor tank act as a balancing tank which attenuates the flow and thus the system
performs equally well regardless to the water-use rate. Simplified sewerage is essentially conventional
sewerage without its conservative design requirements. It is a modification of the conventional design
standards, including reduction in minimum depth, minimum diameter, minimum slope and change in
service connections. Simplified sewers have proven to be substantially less costly than conventional
sewers, with cost savings ranging from 20-50 percent.
The centralized strategy is and has been the conventional wastewater management strategy in the past
century. Indeed, it was proven to be very efficient in wastewater treatment and pollution control.
However, these conventional systems, and especially the convectional collection system and the intensive
treatment technologies, require high skilled labor, large amounts of capital, and steady socio-economic
conditions. All these make it difficult and in many cases not beneficial, especially in low population
density areas, to apply this strategy for wastewater treatment. A viable alternative in these cases can be
the decentralized management.
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Decentralized household wastewater treatment plants
Decentralized wastewater management is a concept in which wastewater is managed: collected, treated
and disposed/reused at or near the point of generation. Thus, it is also referred to as on-site management.
This strategy was, historically, common until the centralized management became the preferred strategy
in the end of the nineteenth century. During the past few decades, however, there is a renewed interest in
the previously discarded decentralized management strategy. These newer decentralized technologies
introduce significant improvement to the systems of the nineteenth century and they also have the ability
to integrate effectively with water-carriage waste removal. The interest in these technologies was renewed
as it became apparent that the centralized strategy is not feasible in many places, or simply not the most
cost-effective alternative in some cases. Due to their high costs and complexity of construction, operation
and maintenance, or the fact that they require high and reliable water consumption, centralized systems
may be less suitable for places such as low-income areas, rural areas with low population density, water-
scarce areas, areas with unreliable water supply system, etc. Thus, although it is not the preferred strategy
of most engineers and decision makers, decentralized wastewater management system has been applied
and its use is increasing. It can serve areas of low population densities of industrialized countries as well.
The decentralized systems can be applied on different scales. It can be applied to (1) individual
households; (2) a cluster of homes; (3) a neighborhood; (4) public facilities; (5) commercial area; (6)
industrial parks; and (7) small portions of large communities (see figure 2).
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Figure 2. Schematic diagram of decentralized wastewater management (on-site) a) subsystem for residential and commercial center; (b) subsystems for residential neighborhoods; (c) subsystems for industrial development; (d) subsystem for individual residence; (e) subsystem for new development; (f) subsystems for establishments or clusters of homes;
Household wastewater treatment plants are an alternative for septic tanks, which are very popular in
Poland. Nowadays it is not necessary to obtain a construction permit so building household wastewater
treatment plants is less complicated than it used to be several years ago. It is advisable first to check if it
is possible to construct a household wastewater treatment plant and then choose a particular type, which
best responds to the needs and local conditions. The most popular ones are those based on infiltration, but
certainly this is not the only solution and we would like to provide some more technical solutions for
household wastewater treatment plants.
Before constructing a household wastewater treatment plant it is very important to check what are the
legal conditions. The household wastewater treatment plants can be built only on the land where sewage
system has been built. If so, the owners of the parcels are obliged to join the common sewerage. What is
more, household wastewater treatment plants cannot be built on the land which is endangered by floods
or under environmental protection.
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Household wastewater treatment plants are based on natural biological processes and due to them the
sewage is decomposed into mineral compounds, completely harmless for the environment. Those
treatment plants are constructed in order to make the processes even more intensive. The purified
wastewater can be send to local irrigation system or to the river, without any harmful impact to the
environment.
1.3. Different types of household wastewater treatment plants
There are many different types of household wastewater treatment plants; they differ by applied
technologies, construction, size and capacity. However, in all types the necessary part is sedimentation
tank. It is the place where the sewage from the house is first transported. The material chosen for the
sedimentation tank should be durable, leak proof, corrosion-proof and resistant to different kinds of
substance that may appear in the sewage. Nowadays the most popular sediment tanks are made of high-
quality plastic or laminate, strengthened by fiberglass. They are light, easy to transport and to install.
Most of the sedimentation tanks are equipped with a filter, which aim is to stop the waste after initial
purification process.
The solid substances in the sewage water fall to the bottom where they make deposit. In these anaerobic
conditions a part of the sewage is decomposed into substances that may be dissolved in water, some of
them into insoluble mineral compounds, which are stored at the bottom of the sedimentation tank. Fats
and gases are raised to the top, where they make a floating layer. In the water which then flows from
sedimentation tank to the soil or to the river, the amount of pollution is 60% lower than in the sewage.
The size of the household wastewater treatment plant should be adapted to the amount of sewage
produced by the house. Usually this amount is the same as the demand for the water of a particular house
- on average about 150 l per person per day.
1.3.1. Infiltration
Perforated pipes are installed under the ground and the sewage, after initial purification, is distributed in
the soil. It permits to reduce the amount of pollution up to 95%.
The necessary conditions on the parcel are as follows:
- low level of underground water
- soil type – sand or mix of clay and sand
- parcel of a suitable size
1.3.2. Biological bed
The natural filtering materials, such as stone, gravel, breakstone or effusive rock are put into a container.
On the top there is a layer of a biological membrane, which consists of microorganisms. The sewage,
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running from the top to the bottom of the container, is being purified and therefore the amount of
pollution is diminished up to 95%.
The purified sewage water runs most often to the rivers or, most preferably, to the soil.
In this case the type of the ground, as well as the level of the underground water, are insignificant and this
kind of installation does not need a lot of space.
1.3.3. Active sludge
A suspension, which consist of microorganisms, is locked in the container (bioreactor) installed behind
the sedimentation tank. Sometimes the bioreactor is divided into two parts: one is sedimentation tank, and
the other one is the tank with the suspension of microorganisms. In order to make the functioning of the
active sludge efficient, it is necessary to provide it with oxygen. The surface indispensable for the
bioreactor is about 6 m². Although the operation of these two systems is different, both the biological bed
and active sludge system need similar external conditions. Usually the producers offer ready-to-install
sets of household wastewater treatment plants, already equipped with pumps and compressors, as well as
power supply device. It is essential that this kind of wastewater treatment is connected to electricity.
1.3.4. With use of plants
Wastewater treatment systems, which use plants to purify the sewage, are based on very simple
technology solutions and they can be individually designed and adopted to the conditions determined by
particular parcel. Water coming from that kind of wastewater treatment plants is pure enough to be used
for watering plants in the garden or to supply a pond. There are two types of wastewater treatment plants
which use plants: reet beds and phytoreactor plants.
1.3.5. Reed bed
In the first type of wastewater treatment plants the sewage flows to the reed bed filter. The filter is made
of soil, where waterlogged-likely plants are grown (most often reed) and is placed in a shallow hole
covered with foil. In the deeper parts of the filter microorganisms’ use the oxygen to dissolve the
substances in the sewage. The plants participate in the process only in 10-15%, and for the rest of the
process the microorganisms are responsible. This household wastewater treatment plant can be enlarged
according to the needs, but it is crucial to take care of the plants, especially during the first years. What is
more, this type of wastewater treatment plant needs a lot of space: about 5-15 m² per one inhabitant of the
house.
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Figure 3. Reed bed 2
1.4. Phytosystem wastewater treatment plants
PhytoSystem is a an on-site biological system treatment of sewage which follows principle that cleaned
water should be returned to the ground, it has a plant bed and with an integrated biological bed
underground. The system purifies residential sewage completely without additional use of chemicals and
with negligible amount of external energy input. The sewage, initially purified in sedimentation tank,
circulates in channels under the field of plants. Its flow is determined by small pumps, which make it go
and deliver air. The excessive gases transport the sewage to the top towards a multi-functioning biological
bed (treatment). In this kind of wastewater treatment plant there is no sludge and therefore problems with
cleaning it do not appear. In the photosynthesis process plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
– 1m2 surface of phytosystems absorb the amount of carbon dioxide which is equal of the amount
absorbed by 1ha of forests. (Lazarek Stan, personal contact, 2009) Biological, chemical and
bacteriological contaminants are taken up into plant biomass, and it has only good impact on the growth
of it. All organic material in the sewage is effectively broken down by microbial processes. It is possible
to grow different species of plants – in Sweden they have had successful experiments with tomatoes,
cucumbers, hemp, crops in this treatment plant. (Lazarek Stan, personal contact, 2009) The direct uptake
of contaminant into the plant through roots depends on the uptake efficiency, transpiration rate, and the
2 http://www.ceres.org.au/watertrail/images/reedbed/reeddiagram.png16
concentration of contaminant (Schnoor Jerald L., Technology Evaluation Report - Phytoremediation,
1997).
The dynamic flow of sewage makes it circulate all the time and even in winter, when the temperature falls
below 0 degrees C, the sewage does not freeze. Even if the there is nothing above the soil, plant roots are
still working and purifying the wastewater. Too big or too small inflow of sewage may slightly
deteriorate the final result of treatment, but it will not stop the processes taking place in system. Even if
for a time there is an extra amount of wastewater, it still works well – the perfect purification time for
1m3 of wastewater is 6 days, but it can also be treated and purified in a 1 day time. If there is a break in
the wastewater flow, plants still can exist of natural resources provided by the ecosystem. (Lazarek Stan,
personal contact, 2009)
Purified water may be used as a supply for a pond or simply flow into the soil. The most important
advantage is that this wastewater treatment does not stink and it is difficult to notice it in the garden. After
the purifying the water stays in the landscape, it doesn’t flow away – the incoming dose of wastewater is
equal to the amount of purified water. Phytosystem can be constructed for both - single households or for
a number of households. In comparison with wetlands phytosystem requires less space – 1 single
household require approximately 3 square meters.
This system could be implemented in Gmina Zawoja about in a half year time, because 500 hundred of
phytosystems can be made per a month. The guaranteed lifespan of Phytosystem is 50 years. (Lazarek
Stan, personal contact, 2009)
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Figure 4. Phytosystem
In order to make the best choice the solution must respond to the size of the parcel, as well as the soil and
water conditions and existing infrastructure. If the parcel is flat with low level of underground water and
permeable soil, the best solution would be the infiltration system. It is also the cheapest and the easiest
solution. If the parcel is relatively small, then the best choice would be an active sludge system, biological
bed or phytosystem. The infiltration system can also be adapted with some modification of underground
channels. It is possible to reduce its size up to 50%. The soil and water condition are significant only for
the infiltration system. Besides the size of the parcel and the soil and water conditions, it is very important
to find the place that can receive water. It can be soil, drainage ditch or a nearby river. 3
1.5. Conclusions
3 Kosiarska Agata, Czysta korzyść. Przydomowe oczyszczalnie ściekow – przegląd, 2009
18
So the use of appropriate and sustainable wastewater treatment technologies in rural areas is a philosophy
that needs to be utmost in the minds of the sanitary engineers that are addressing the problems of
wastewater. The reuse of treated water is feasible and is an option that needs to be considered not only in
countries that are experiencing the lack of clean water for irrigation but also in such developed countries
as Poland.
We have analyzed the situation of wastewater treatment in Gmina Zawoja and the two possible solutions
for future implementation. The table below clearly describes main advantages and disadvantages of the
centralized conventional and the decentralized PhytoSystems.
Centralized system Phytosystem
Pipe system for every household is needed No pipe system is needed
Water flows away from its native landscape Water stays in the landscape
Failure in one point of system may affect whole system
Failure in on treatment plant doesn’t affect other treatment plants
Extra energy input and additional chemicals needed for purification process
No extra energy input or additional chemicals are needed for purification process
Limited capability to deal with changes of wastewater flow
The system can easily deal with extra wastewater flows or with flow shortages
Extra fresh-water is needed to transport wastewater
Possibility to save water, because no extra water is needed to transport sewage
Proved technology New technology, disadvantages are no known yet
Good solution for urban densely populated areas Good for rural sparsely populated areas
Easier to monitor and control the centralized system
Complicated monitoring and controlling system, because of the big amount of treatment plants
Few educated people are needed to run the system, so they can take the responsibility
Everyone have possibility to experiment with their own wastewater treatment plants, no-one is responsible for all system together
Figure 5. Comparison: centralized system vs. Phytosystem
19
2. Environmental Impact
2.1. Introduction
Environmental protection is one of the most important duties that municipal authorities have to fulfil, not
only because of the imposed legal requirements but also because it is one of the significant indicators of
life quality. This is especially valid for Zawoja, which is an important local tourist centre with sleeping
places for 2500 tourists. Babiogórski National Park attracts around 70 000 visitors by the beauty and
biodiversity, fresh air as well as clean streams and rivers in the neighbourhood.
The value of environment as an important factor that may determine municipal development was also
recognized in the Strategy of Sustainable Development of Zawoja 2005 – 2025 made to order of Zawoja
community by the company Lex Moderator Ltd. According to the authors of that document, in terms of
environmental aspects Zawoja is characterized by:
High quality of the environment, including the areas of the highest environmental protection level
within Babiogórski National Park,
High forestry rate with its biodiversity,
Low quality soils that favour further forests expansion.
These enumerated strengths at the same time become the opportunities for the sustainable development of
Zawoja.
2.2. Current state of the environment – water issues
a) Water Issues
Regarding water state, the most serious environmental threat, also recognized by the aforementioned
strategy, seems to be the lack of sewage system solutions in most of the local authority. According to
official statistics only about 11% of local authority’s inhabitants are connected to the local, central
sewage system. The situation is furthermore worsened by the fact that that this figure is limited only to
registered inhabitants and it does not include the number of tourists visiting Zawoja who also produce
some amount of sewage that needs to be treated. Practically it means that most households are equipped
with septic tanks which pose a significant environmental danger. First of all, theoretically, since 2007,
each household should have the sewage completely removed from the tank at least once per year, in
practice however, in order to save some money, sewage is being illegally dumped into the ground as a
“fertilizer” or what is much worse, sewage is dumped in the local streams and Skawica River. Secondly,
septic tanks are very often of obsolete construction from concrete rings with no insulation at the bottom
(which is also illegal) that simply causes that the sewage is leaking through. As a consequence, not only
surface waters, but also underground aquifers, which may in future serve for the sources of potable water
20
become polluted. This is a serious problem especially in places, where households are not linked to the
central system of potable water distribution and have to rely on its own wells (3, 7% of inhabitants). The
problems with water quality were revealed by the investigation conducted in Suski powiat in the years
1999 – 2001 and are presented in the figure below. The analysis of the figure confirms that wells are the
worst sources of drinking water regarding water quality.
Figure 6. The percentage of disapproved water samples (due to the quality) in Suski powiat in years 1999
– 20014
It is worth to say that the main reason for samples’ rejection was exceeding of bacteriological parameters
(faecal forms of E. Coli) which seems to be closely linked to the fact of sewage discharge. It should be
also mentioned that most amount of water is taken from surface resources and additionally hardly any
intake is equipped with water treatment and purification facility, so there is no possibility to increase the
quality of water even artificially.
Such the situation not only causes a real threat for inhabitants but also substantially limits the
development of tourism. Due to these reasons, there is an urgent need to enhance wastewater
management system within the local authority, which is furthermore amplified by the fact of localization
of water intake for the factory of protein skins in Białka (downstream from Zawoja; requires the highest
water quality) as well as the construction of reservoir in Świnna Poręba (will serve as the source of
drinking water).
b) Soil issues
Soil in Gmina Zawoja can be generally classified as rather poor in terms of agricultural production. The
lowest soil quality classes – IV, V and VI constitute 39, 5%, 39,4% and 18% respectively. Such kinds of
soil are shallow and susceptible to erosion. Erosion, in turn, depends on the topography of terrain (slope
4 Adapted from: Program of Environment Protection for Zawoja for the years 2004 – 2007 with a perspective to 2011
21
inclination and length), frequency and intensity of precipitation, soil composition and coverage by
vegetation. In Gmina Zawoja, the erosion is caused mainly by precipitation and flowing water which is
further enhanced by human activity.
Regarding anthropogenic - related soil pollution, contamination by heavy metals must be considered. In
the case of Zawoja, anthropogenic pollution of this kind seems to play less important role – the higher
content of heavy metals results rather from geological structure of mother rock (Carpatian flish and
tertiary rocks). Also septic tanks may be considered as local sources of anthropogenic type of pollution of
soil (especially when they leak) – sewage poses a potential chemical (detergents used for washing and
laundry, oils) as well as biological hazard (pathogenic bacteria, eggs of parasites and viruses).
c) Air issues
Air pollution in Zawoja has purely anthropogenic character. Air quality is mostly worsened by vehicles
that emit fumes (NOx, CO2) as well as by combustion of coal, wood and often (although illegal) garbage
(CO2, SO2, NOx, PM10 and others). It is worth to mention that the latter affects air quality to a much
greater extent resulting in few times higher content of contaminants in winter (heating) season than in
summer.
Another problem related to air is odours. In Zawoja, odours are of local character and are inter alia caused
by the wastewater treatment plant (treatment processes and aeration of sludge), septic tanks and some
household wastewater treatment plants and poor construction of sewage system pipes. This is another
reason why the proper solving of wastewater issue is so urgent and crucial.
2.3. Environmental impact
In order to understand the possible environmental risks of the chosen method it is essential to clearly
identify the relevant stages which can affect the surroundings.
22
Figure 7. Stages of wastewater treatment process5
Wastewater treatment plants are aimed at protecting and improving environment, on the other hand when
constructed improperly or used incorrectly can be dangerous for the environment. Deciding on the
technology the assessment of the impact on the environment should be prepared. The comparison of both
(centralized and decentralized) solutions should include:
the main characteristics of the project
the scale of the project
realization, maintenance and probable deconstruction
5 Adapted from: http://www.balticuniv.uu.se/swm/ accessed on 23th of July, 200923
resources and energy used for the completion
wastes and gas emissions
the risk of the malfunction
exploitation
Decentralized system is mainly represented by different kinds of single (or multi) households’ small
wastewater treatment plants with bacteria and plants playing the crucial role in water treatment and
purification. This is an effective method of treating sewage even in the changing and dynamic
environment. When properly designed, installed, and maintained on suitable soils, this system is an
environmentally benign method to manage household wastewater. It is effective in bad weather
conditions including low temperatures. Treated water is of good quality and fulfils the environmental
standards as with regard to nitrogen and phosphorus content as well as BOD5 and COD parameters6.
There are many environmental benefits resulting from utilization of such systems
There is no need to build a central WWTP, instead many small plants are constructed, which in
most cases perfectly match the surroundings they operate in; hence no need for designing
restricted area;
The area used for building such treatment plant is significantly smaller than central wastewater
treatment plant and even smaller than other kinds of biological treatment;
According the different sources the energy usage is about 30-90% lower than in the case of a
traditional centralized solution;
The costs of investment may be slightly higher, however the accumulated cost of operation of
many single household WWTP is lower;
Since everything happens below the ground, the unpleasant odor characteristic for centralized
pipeline system is non-existent;
Decentralized system enables water and wasterwater reusing (either to recharge diminished
groundwater or to use recycled water for other purposes such as irrigation for golf courses,
forested areas or mass planting of gardens, as well as for smaller areas and gardens near
households);
Discharges of treated wastewater into the coastal streams can be eliminated completely. (Large-
scale sewage treatment plants are often unable to make use of the treated water and instead of
being recycled and returned to the aquifers upstream, much of it is discharged into rivers.);
Long transportation distances where sewer lines and pump stations may overflow are eliminated;
6 Helman-Grubba Małgorzata, Wykorzystanie metody hydrofitowej do rozwiązywania problemów gospodarki osadowej w nowych i modernizowanych oczyszczalniach ścieków dla 500¸ 25 000 MR, available at www.ecol-unicon.com.
24
The location below ground ensures no unsightly facilities or noise;
In case of any failure, only certain area is affected (in pipeline system, everyone connected to it
is affected);
Natural systems are sustained through prudent zoning and reduction of non-point pollution.
There are also few disadvatages considering decentralized wastewater management one should take into
account:
Failure of these systems can cause contamination of water by bacteria, viruses, nitrates, oils,
detergents and other household chemicals
The system failure can also cause health problems by exposing humans to raw sewage
Difficulties/less experience in monitoring and controlling system failure and its possible effects
The decentralized solution is applicable in case of Poland where water resources are scarce. The natural
way of treating sewage supports biodiversity and does not produce any secondary sediments, which are
hard to dewater and reuse. In the vegetation season the water transpiration is significant which improves
the microclimate and minimizes the amount of wastewater. The effectiveness of decentralized systems
has been proved by 300 such wastewater treatments in Denmark and 500 in the United Kingdom.
According to the research done by Bergier T. et al. (2004) for constructed wetlands (one type of
decentralized system) which were serving 2500 people, the comparison with traditional solution showed
that constructed wetlands are maybe more expensive at the initial phase but their maintenance and
operation is cheaper. The effectiveness is reported in terms of used energy and the number for employees
operating. Constructed wetlands are energy-efficient and require less supervision and servicing.
There are two exemplary cases:
June 2002 Krempna, the Magurski National Park, Scientific Centre of Jagiellonian University.
The garden wastewater treatment plant’s size is 24m².
June 2003 Lutowiska, Bieszczady Mountains. This is an integrated solution which combines
conventional wastewater management system with household constructed wetlands system
which treats sewage sent from 300 domestic areas. The size of the treatment plant is 36m² and
every 24 hours it treats 0,7m³ of sewage (which equals the amount produced by 4-5 family
members).
2.4. Centralized system characterization
The centralized system consists of a net of pipelines which connects households and industrial buildings.
Its main task is to transport all kinds of sewage from private, public and industrialized areas to one central
point – wastewater treatment plant. Clean water treated in these central points is transported downstream
the river and it is not pumped back to be reused. The fact that the centralized system takes its resources
25
from one major water area and then there is no reuse such method can lead to the dehydration of local
land and causes irreversible decrease in the level of underground water resources. Such negative result
was observed in Podkowa Leśna. In case of this solution the underground water may soak into the
pipelines and cause the congestion of the system. It can also happen the opposite way, the sewage may
soak into the soil and cause environmental contamination. While building the centralized system one
needs to take into consideration that pipelines ought to be deep enough not to freeze in the winter time. It
means that the pumps should be installed in order to assure the flow of sewage. In case of Zawoja extra
pumps should be installed what is caused by large differences in ground level. A further risk is that in
case of a pipe break the natural environment will be affected directly and significantly as opposed to the
alternative decentralized solutions where the damage would be local, less extensive and so easy to tackle
with. Another factor necessary to be considered is the probability of leaking which is observable by the
existing system as well. The notable length of the pipeline system requires particular attention to this risk.
The centralized system just like other systems that use sewage treatment plants is not 100% effective
which translates into water quality deterioration.
In places of high density of population this solution seems to be the most effective and applicable.
Despite of the afore-mentioned disadvantages there are also many benefits. Among them the following
can be distinguished:
Well-known and reliable solution; capability of measuring the expected outcome
No influence on spatial management (in case of pipelines construction) – the whole construction
is underground
26
Figure 8. Centralized wastewater management system
2.5. Comparison of environmental impact of centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment systems
In this case centralized system is the one that comprises main wastewater treatment plant (there is no need
for more than one such facility in Zawoja) as well as the network of pipes that enables the transport of
sewage from household to the wastewater treatment plant. Whereas the decentralized system refers to
many wastewater treatment facilities serving for individual or few households. There are no connections
among them and from time to time the solid sludge must be removed by the special car and transported to
the “central” wastewater treatment plant
Stage of life and its details Centralized system Decentralized system
Con
stru
ctio
n
Effect on forestry Risk of necessity to cut
trees
No necessity to cut trees
Effect on soil Risk of dehydration
Vast amount of soil needs
to be removed
Less soil needed to be
dumped
More soil needed to be
dumped
27
Traffic movements and
vibrations
Higher vibration and
traffic due to the
transportation of soil and
debris
Negligible (only local
impacts)
Deconstruction and
reconstruction of roads
and buildings
Deconstruction of
roads, sidewalks, fences,
gardens, etc.
Negligible
Effect on animals Stress from the noise,
Change of the original
biodiversity
Change of the original
biodiversity and creation of
the new ones
Types of works and their
impact on environment
60km/2m/1,5m
dig needs to be done
numerous local smaller digs
Ope
ratio
n
Water circulation in the
system
Water depletion from the
area serviced by the
system
Water is irretrievably lost
Water stays within the area
of household
Reuse of treated wastewater
Sewage transportation Piping system; leaking
possible
Special “septic” cars are
needed to empty septic
tanks, during which
unpleasant odour may be
released
Impact on water quality The receiver of treated
wastewater may be
severely affected in the
point of discharge (as it is
usually one discharging
points) e.g. river shock
Many scattered discharge
points localized on a large
area may have only small
impact on the nearby water
bodies (treated wastewater
is dumped into the ground
where it additionally
undergoes further filtration)
Effect on biodiversity Biodiversity in rivers and
lakes may be affected by
discharge from
wastewater treatment
Lower impact on
biodiversity because of
drain water to a central
wastewater treatment plant
Malfunctions Bigger area affected in
case of any accident
Local impact in case of any
failure
28
Odour smelly scent from WWTP
hence, it should not be
localized in the vicinity
of residential areas
rather odourless operation
Visual impact visible construction of
building and facilities of
WWTP
Treatment unit is localized
below the ground level – no
visual impact (or even
positive impact if it is a part
of the garden)
Attraction of vermin Considerable in the area
of WWTP
Negligible
Dangers of polluting
drinkable water sources
negligible may affect local wells if
leaking
Dec
onst
ruct
ion
Soil removed and sources
of soil for filling in
soil removal o dig in
to the pipes level, but
then the same soil is used
to fill the ground
necessity to obtain soil
from outer source
Deconstructions and
reconstruction of road
and buildings
unavoidable (if
deconstruction of piping
is necessary)
Negligible
Utilization of leftovers Leftovers include:
pipes, debris and others;
debris may be used for
road construction
Almost none leftovers
to be used
Traffic movements and
vibrations
considerable negligible
Figure 9. Comparison of environmental performance of centralized and decentralized systems
2.6. Summary
The purpose of this chapter was to compare two possibilities of how the problem of wastewater can be
solved: centralized versus decentralized wastewater management system. The analysis of both solutions
indicates that decentralized system is more environmentally friendly and can be fully developed in Gmina
Zawoja.
Among the most important advantages of decentralized system from the environmental point of
view there are:
29
lower energy usage,
smaller area affected during the construction of the system as well as in case of malfunction,
possibility of reusing of wastewater,
no unpleasant odour coming from the wastewater treatment plants.
As for the benefits of centralized system, the only relevant superiority over decentralized system
regarding the specificity of Gmina Zawoja seems to be the possibility of constant monitoring of system
performance (the quality of sewage is measured at the different stages of operation of WWTP, on the
contrary to decentralized system where it is practically impossible to measure or the relevant parameters
in all operating small hydrobotanic plants).
Hence, from the environmental point of view it is recommended to utilize decentralized systems in places
where the introduction of centralized systems has not been yet decided or the centralized system is only in
the phase of design.
30
3. The hydrological cycle
3.1. Overview
In the chapter the analysis of wastewater treatment influence on hydrological cycle is provided. The
authors investigate local water cycle (Zawoja Gmina) and its specific inherent issues. Also we consider
different aspects of human activities impact on hydrological cycle that might appeared. The possible
consequences of providing two wastewater treatment systems (centralized and PhytoSystems) and
comparison of these two proposed solutions are also presented in this chapter.
“The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on,
above, and below the surface of the Earth. Since the water cycle is truly a cycle there is no beginning or
the end. Water can change states among liquid, vapor, and ice at various places in the water cycle.
Although the balance of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time, individual water molecules can
come and go”7. Through the process of evaporation water travels into the air, becomes part of a cloud
and then returns to the earth as precipitation. This process repeats itself over and over again, and the same
water in a same amount take part in a process referred to as the hydrologic cycle
7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cycle
31
Figure 10. Hydrological cycle8
Precipitation creates run-off that travels over the ground surface and helps fill lakes and rivers. It also
percolates or moves downward through openings in the soil to replenish aquifers under the ground. Water
dissolves minerals, chemicals and other substances from the ground. Some places receive more
precipitation than others due to their proximity to large bodies of water, which allows more water to
evaporate and form clouds. As clouds move up and over higher landmasses such as mountains, the water
vapor condenses to form precipitation.
The hydrological cycle is associated with a complex balance of the planet’s water in its various forms and
proportions. It is liable to natural variation, as well as changes caused by humans. The move towards
another type of balance (if it is currently in balance or if this balance is possible indefinitely) may affect
not only the quantity of water involved in the hydrological cycle, but also the quality of the resource in its
various forms.
The hydrological cycle is intimately related to the climate because of the special physico-chemical
properties of water and the large volume in which it exists (in the oceans and atmosphere and on land).
Climate cannot be explained without the water in the atmosphere, the movement of water in the oceans
8 Source: http://www.geographyalltheway.com/ib_geography/ib_drainage_basins/imagesetc/water_cycle.jpg
32
and the hydrological cycle. Despite the strong interdependence of the latter and climate, great difficulty
persists in quantifying each of the related processes.
Human activities can influence the hydrologic cycle in many other ways. The volumes and timing of river
flows can be greatly affected by channeling to decrease the impediments to flow, and by changing the
character of the watershed by paving, compacting soils, and altering the nature of the vegetation. Risks of
flooding can be increased by speeding the rate at which water is shed from the land, thereby increasing
the magnitude of peak flows. Massive increases in erosion are often associated with deforestation,
especially when natural forests are converted into agriculture.9
The human impact on the hydrological cycle can be subdivided into three main areas:
1. Water quantity.
2. Water quality.
3. Water ecology
The impacts can be either direct or indirect, they can operate at any scale from the local to global, and the
results may be positive or negative.
The use of water in the national economy10:
The use of water by the national economy: 1975 – 1999
- Industrial production - 70%
- Irrigation used in the agriculture - 10%
- Provision of water to the communal water systems - 20%
The use of water 1950 – 1999
- Total use in 1950 - 2.2 km3
- Total use in 1994 - 12.0 km3
- Total use in 1999 - 11.3 km3
The annual use of water coming from the water systems in Zawoja in 200311:
26 297,70 m3
Urban development scientifically changes the hydrological cycle.
The main changes of the physical pathways of the water cycles due to urbanization include:
- removal of natural vegetation drainage patterns;
- loss of natural depressions which temporarily store surface water;
- loss of rainfall absorbing capacity of soil;
- creation of impervious areas (e.g., rooftops, roads, parking lots, sidewalks, driveways)
- provision of man-made drainage systems (e.g., storm sewers, channels, detention ponds).
9 (http://www.enotes.com/earth-science/hydrologic-cycle)10 www.up.poznan.pl/kbw/dydaktyka/gospwod/gosp5.doc11 The Strategy of the Sustainable Development of Zawoja for 2005-2025
33
Therefore, although the hydrological cycle consists of the same elements, their proportions in urban area
are significantly different:
- interception of rainfall is reduced due to removal of trees;
- precipitation is usually higher than in rural areas;
- evapotranspiration is much lower;
- surface run-off is much larger;
- ground-water run-off, infiltration and recharge is small;
- water storage is much lower;
- runoff volumes and peak flows in rivers are higher;
- frequency of surface runoff is increased.12
Human activities, especially those aimed at regulating water as a resource (in its various uses, in the use
of the land or in peak reduction works to avoid flood damage), alter the hydrological cycle. These
alterations are increasingly large because of population growth and the rising standards of living. They
must therefore be considered because of the associated changes to the environment and future uncertainty
related to the possibly diminishing resources and aggravated extreme weather events, such as droughts
and floods.
Other type of activity, which affects heavily the hydrological cycle and causes numerous problems, is the
industry. To give the example typical of Poland: a level of ground water is getting lower and lower, due
to the extraction of the coal by the coal mines. This means the problems for those who get the water from
the wells. The industry is also a huge source of water consumption and pollution, since this resource is
essential for most of the industrial processes of production and is widely used in them.
A construction of factories, power plants and urbanization in general changes radically the hydrological
cycle. Roads can serve as a good example – after constructing a motorway, a great amount of ground
is covered with a surface that doesn’t permit the water go deep into it. Instead of this, it goes then to the
underground sewage systems. The hydrological cycle is accelerating, the water doesn’t have a chance to
evaporate and as a result of this the climate may become warmer.
3.2. Zawoja local hydrological cycle description and water resources
Surface water
Zawoja Gmina is located in the upper and middle parts of the Skawica river catchment, the Skawa river
left-hand tributary, which is a right tributary of the Vistula River. In the southern boundary of the Gmina
is located the main European watershed, separating the Baltic Sea water catchment area from the Black
Sea catchment. Numerous streams dehydrate the slopes of Babia Góra and the Jałowiecki range. The
largest of them are: the Jałowiecki stream, łonowy and Jaworzyna brooks. Streams that flow down the
Babia Góra, after the merger in the region of the Widły hamlet create the spring of the Skawica river. The 12 http://www.aquatic.unesco.lodz.pl/index.php?p=water_cycle
34
middle section of the Skawica river is supplied by the streams: Mosorny, Jastrzębiec and Upper Skawica,
drawn from the northern slopes of Polica and by additional streams, such as: Wełczówka, Surmiaków,
Kalinka and Gołynia, floating from the eastern slopes of the Jałowiecki range. The streams of the north
slope of Babia Góra flow down concentrically to form a network in the shape of stretched wheels and
then connect to the Skawica River.
The dense network of watercourses takes its origins in many springs, whose number is more than fifty.
They are mainly in the altitude/height of 900 - 1400 m above sea level. In addition to sources on the
ground there are a number of periodic sources from which water flows during rainfall or prolonged thaw.
Sources of mineral waters occur in the area of the Lipnicki Pass and in the Słonowy Potok (Słonowy
Stream) valley.
Water-courses that drain the slopes of Jałowiec, Babia Góra and Polica are characterized by very high
abundance of surface water, which is due to exceptionally high rainfall, large retention of the ground rock
and soil, and the level of forestation (approx. 65% of the Zawoja Gmina). The average annual flow in the
Skawica River is 1.25 m3/s. These streams are characterized also by relatively high values of the
minimum run-offs.13
The already mentioned high percentage of forests in the Zawoja Gmina (65% of the surface on the local
area) contributes to a good detainment of water in terms of humidity accumulated in the trees and leaves,
which in turn transposes to a proper air condition (the so called water ‘little’ circulation).
Figure 11. The hydrological network of Babia Góra (within the Babiogórski Park area) 14
13 The Environment Protection Program for the Zawoja Gmina for the period of 2004-2007 with the perspective till 2011.14 http://www.parki.pl/parki_narodowe/babiogorski_pn/przyroda/hydrologia.htm
35
Hydrological characteristics of flowing waters show seasonal variations. In terms of wealth and their
hydrological nature, the Zawojan water-courses are similar to the Tatra streams.
Ground waters
Skawica River is the longest tributary of the Skawa River - its length is 24.2 km and the catchment area
comprises of 138 km2. The average down-grade in the river is 16˚ (promilles). The level of ground water
on the slopes and at the highest parts of the hills is 5-15 m, with fluctuations during the year to 3 m. In the
valley of the Skawica (where the fertile alluvial soil occurs) the level of ground water ranges from 1 m to
5 m in-depth.
The peculiarities of Zawoja are small ponds - natural reservoirs of stagnant water, such as Wet Pond
(Mokry Staw) at the tourist route from the Krowiarki Pass to Markowe Szczawiany or in the Marków
Stawek in the upper panel of Płat under the Borsucze rocks below the Cyl.
Climatic conditions (air, precipitation)
The climate has the enormous impact on the hydrological conditions of the place. The climate in Zawoja
is influenced by the height above sea level and a terrain form. Important meteorological factors are
temperature and precipitation, and relative humidity of the air. The climatic conditions of Zawoja are
shaped under the prevalent influence of the Babia Góra massif.
The sum of the annual precipitation ranges from 916 mm at a height of 410 m above sea level, and up to
1,475 mm in parts on the overhead of Babia Góra. The highest rainfall are recorded in June and July, and
the lowest since January to March. Number of days with snow cover ranges from 90 at a height of 410 m
above sea level, and up to 200 days at the Diablak peak.15
The important factors affecting the quantification of water quality are the changing conditions of climate
and atmosphere, in particular the abundant rainfalls emerging in recent years in the summer periods
causing floods, and appearing both in the short and in the long-term. Both of these (i.e. droughts and
heavy rainfall) cause the shortages in the water supply of the local people (in terms of the insufficient
quantity and inadequate quality of water). In the last few years, after the summer rainfalls, the Zawoja
Gmina has been suffering a couple of times from some slight local floods and landslides. And from the
other - opposite – side, some water shortages in the inhabitants’ ground wells have been perceived. These
phenomena have been unfortunately increasing.
3.3. Influence on the hydrological cycle
Human development can influence the hydrologic cycle in many ways. The volumes and timing of river
flows can be greatly affected by channeling to decrease the impediments to flow, and by changing the
15 The Environment Protection Program for the Zawoja Gmina for the period of 2004-2007 with the perspective till 2011.
36
character of the watershed by paving, compacting soils, and altering the nature of the vegetation. All of
the before mentioned situations are closely connected to the construction and placement of the centralized
wastewater treatment system. Additionally, the risk of flooding can be increased by speeding the rate at
which water is shed from the land (through the pipeline network), thereby increasing the magnitude of
peak flows. Risk of flooding is also increased if erosion of soils from terrestrial parts of the watershed
leads to situation and the development of shallower river channels, which then fill up and spill over
during high-flow periods.
Another issue is connected with the water supply sources for the region. The location of this area is
characterized by the relatively good water supply conditions. The citizens’ demand for water is covered
by the region’s surface and ground water sources. Because of the geological construction and the shallow
layers of ground water, the wells on average do not reach large depths. Most captured water comes from
the first level of water-bearing layer, which always carries the higher risk of pollution of this water. The
main surface water supply source in the village include the water supply system in Zawoja Czatoża,
which supplies water to 125 buildings and additionally in Zawoja Center – 224 customers. This water
supply system derives the water from the capture on the Jałowiec stream. The other water supply source
is basing on the water capture from the Jastrzębie stream. It provides the water to the whole centre of
Zawoja, including - inter alia – such institutions as a local school and the Health Centre. Local water
supply systems have smaller radius and the number of served customers in comparison with the public
water supply system. Typically, these systems supply water to a few households or operate facilities for
the purpose of public institutions, resorts, educational facilities, etc. In the Gmina of Zawoja these
systems support 6 675 persons, representing up to 76.4% of all residents. In such system the
improvements in the equipment for better water treatment are rarely made. Apart from the public and
local/communal water supply systems, citizens have their own wells and water catchments on the small
local streams and from the ground-wells nearby their houses. These house-wells are mainly shallow wells
seizing the groundwater. The depth of such wells ranges from 2 m to a maximum of 10 m. Most have a
depth of 3 - 6 m. Deep-water wells are in minority. Bearing in mind the water supply sources mentioned
above, the very simple but at the same time very negative aspect regarding the centralized wastewater
treatment infrastructure which is connected with the water supply sources in the Zawoja region concerns
the effect of dewatering the area (Zawoja) where the water is initially derived from and put into water
supply system. This water, after using it, is discharged into sewage and taken into the wastewater
treatment plant located outside the local water catchments area (Sucha Beskidzka). This process disturbs
the local hydrological conditions mainly in the field of ground and underground water supplies.
Additionally, the local water ‘little’ circulation pertaining the water perseverance in plants and air within
the local area is unbalanced, because the used water is transported to the neutralization place (wastewater
treatment plant) through a closed pipe-system.
The gravity centralized wastewater system, as part of an underground infrastructure, cooperates with the
surrounding ground with variable capacity. Hence, various hydro geological conditions are observed on
37
the length of the pipeline and at various depths. These conditions are changing over time. The following
affect the changes:
the reactions of the land to changes in the level of ground waters and subcutaneous waters,
the subgrain leaching processes under the influence of subcutaneously flowing water or
groundwater,
changes in weather and climate: precipitation, temperature changes, freezing and defrosting,
consolidation of the land after the execution of ground works.
In practice, there are more facts that could cause a leakage of the pipes within the central sewage
infrastructure. To a great extent, these are precisely the variables ground-water conditions listed above.
The pipes are exposed to damage during the entire period of their life. Rigid pipe is more sensitive to
changes in soil conditions, and exceeding the load for them often leads to cracks, leaks, subsidence and
other various types of defects. The negative effects include the contamination of the environment (mainly
the groundwater), jetting the buildings and diluting the effluents discharging to the wastewater treatment
plant.16
Construction works connected with building the new or renovating the old sewage infrastructure increase
the amount of impermeable surfaces, which reduce the amount of infiltration and percolation. The high
drainage density associated with the network of drains, gutters, sewers and flood relief channels, quickly
carries water into river channels, thereby increasing channel storage. Moreover, water quality is affected
by the large-scale structures. Overland flow in urban areas picks up suspended solid particulate matter
and dissolved chemicals, making water quality poor, and in some cases it may even be toxic.
Domestic sewage (through the system of pipelines with wastewater) carries high organic load and a large
variety of contaminants, including pathogens, pharmaceuticals, plastics, heavy metals, petroleum
hydrocarbons, and nutrients. Although nutrients are essential for primary production, high concentrations
can trigger an eutrophication process, which is considered one of the greatest threats to the ecosystems,
leading to a reduction in the local aquatic biodiversity.
The influence of the PhytoSystem on the hydrological cycle
An on-site wastewater treatment system such as PhytoSystem can be used to treat sewage close to where
it is created. Plants used in the PhytoSystems are known to be natural pump for soil water, up taking and
eliminating metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil and its derivatives, and various other
contaminants from air, water and soil environment. This flora is regarded as a remedium restoring
balance and is non-environmentally disruptive.
Phytotreatment aiming at pumping wastewater was far behind the progress of improving quality.
However, an upward flow through plant roots, the so called transpiration stream plays an important role
aiming to divert wastewater flow into the air. The collective flow of transpiration stream within the plant
16 Mariola Błajet, The advantages resulting from flexibility of Wavin’s sewer system, http://www.bibliotekawavin.pl/struktura/15/37/171/Elastycznosc_w_systemach_kanalizacyjnych_Wavin.pdf
38
and evaporation to the air is the so called evapotranspiration. This represents evaporated volume, or
weight, of wastewater which detaches from wastewater surface. Therefore the overall treated effluent will
be discharged to environmental multimedia, i.e. soil and/or water bodies and air.17
Using a natural filtering principle in wastewater phyto-purification system allows creating and sustaining
a mini-eco-system by recycling and regenerating the wastewater, and hence retaining it within the local
hydro cycle. This type of wastewater treatment system enables better watershed maintenance by
eliminating the large transfers of water from one watershed to another that happens with centralized
treatment.
Comparison of the influence of the two types of wastewater treatment solutions on the hydrological
cycle’s elements
centralised wastewater
treatment system
PhytoSystem
AIR condition does not provide positive
effects on air (in case of
leakages it can even worsen
the air due to unpleasant
odours)
uptakes chemicals from air
diverts wastewater flow
into the air (through plants’
transpiration and
evaporation)
average unit produces the
amount of oxygen equal to
1 ha of a forest
PLANTS condition influences the reduction in
the local aquatic
biodiversity
fertilizes plants
supports biodiversity
SOIL/GROUND condition increases the erosion of
soils
decreases the amount of
water in the ground
increases the amount of
impermeable surfaces,
which reduces the amount
of infiltration and
uptakes chemicals from
soil
retains water in the ground
17 Sarwoko Mangkoedihardjo, PHYTO–ASSISTED SANITATION SYSTEM [in:] Journal of Applied Sciences in Environmental Sanitation, Volume 1: 9-16, January – December, 2006, Department of Environmental Engineering Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Surabaya, Indonesia (http://www.trisanita.org/asespaper2006/ases02v1y2006.pdf)
39
percolation
WATER
condition
Surface &
underground
water
dewaters the local water
supply sources
can trigger an
eutrophication process
contaminates the ground
and surface water through
leakages from pipes
picks up suspended solid
particulate matter and
dissolved chemicals,
making water quality poor
(in some cases even toxic)
enables better watershed
maintenance by eliminating
the large transfers of water
from one watershed to
another
3.4. Summary
Water is one of the most precious resources in the world; it is essential for the wellbeing of humans.
Nevertheless, the use and abuse of water is a worrying trend. As the world’s population continues to rise,
and as standards of living increase, the demand for water also increases. It is not just a question about the
quantity of water but also the quality. Many areas are experiencing water shortages and increasing
episodes of contaminated water. Some impacts are direct – such as water extraction and subsequent
evaporation and/or leakage, while others are indirect such as eutrophication and climate change (leading
to increased evaporation).
We can state with confidence that hydrological conditions in the Zawoja Gmina are seem to be pretty
good because of water supply sources and vicinity to Babia Góra eco system. Nevertheless the
availability of water in domestic wells is decreasing and this might considered as human development
impact on hydrological conditions in the area.
Wastewater treatment as one of the people activities has strong impact on hydrological cycle as natural
process. Nevertheless after detailed consideration we can summarize that different technologies have
different impact on water in terms of quality and quantity. In this part the centralized and PhytoSystems
have been analyzed and we would like to conclude that second one seems to be more friendly to the
natural environment than first one (from the hydrological cycle point of view of course). Comparing to
centralized system the PhytoSystem appears to be more efficient solution according to water occurrence
in the region.
40
4. ECONOMIC ASSESMENET. POTENTIAL SOURCES OF FINANCING
4.1. Introduction
In the first part of this chapter we calculate and compare the costs of two wastewater treatment methods
proposed for Gmina Zawoja:
- traditional centralized pipes system for 2008 households connected with Phytosystem method for
390 households
- decentralized solution (serving all households by Phytosystem).
In calculations of Centralized System, costs of construction, operating and connecting are taken into
account. We take into consideration two scenarios – assuming two rates of wastewater treatment payment:
18 z/m3 and 20zl/m3. In the case of Phytosystem, mineral sediments transportation and energy costs are
taken into account. 5% discount rate per year during the whole period is assumed. Both systems are
compared in the timeframe of 25 years.
The second part of the chapter is focused on the methodology of the assessment of environmental cost of
centralized and decentralized wastewater systems. Following this methodology the economic benefits and
costs of ecosystem goods and services related to wastewater management in Zawoja are defined and
recommendations for detailed valuation of using the environmental methods are introduced.
Finally, some methods of financing the whole investment were suggested. Here the focus is on external
funding sources, which can be used by the Gmina authorities, individual inhabitants of Zawoja and by the
companies involved in constructing the sewage system.
4.2. Economical feasibility of both methods and comparison
In “Investment program of rebuilding and modernization of wastewater management in Gmina
Zawoja” (Program inwestycyjny rozbudowy i modernizacji gospodarki ściekami na terenie Gminy
Zawoja) two alternative scenarios have been presented:
- version „Z” - with 2 wastewater treatment plants : - WWTP Zawoja – Widły - WWTP COŚ – Zawoja – Skawica
- version „S” with 1 wastewater treatment plant : - WWTP COŚ – Zawoja - Skawica
Because of the fact that both versions are financially almost the same, Table 1 includes all costs
from the year of 2003 only for the variant “S”.
41
In order to compare both solutions, it is important to evaluate economical costs of both systems:
centralized wastewater system “S” and decentralized Phytosystem, taking into account installation and
operating costs.
Calculation of the costs both systems is based on:
number of households in Gmina Zawoja,
total amount of purified wastewater (m3/year),
number of inhabitants,
costs of energy.
PART I Rebuilding of sewage system in area operated by wastewater treatment in Zawoja – Widły
badanie stanu technicznego i szczelności kanału 200400 mm 3 000 000
uzupełnienie sieci kanalizacyjnej 3 240 000
6 240 000
PART II Sieć kanalizacyjna w dolinie Potoku Wełczówki obsługiwana przez oczyszczalnie
Zawoja - Skawica
3 642 000
sieć kanalizacji sanitarnej, rurociągi tłoczne ścieków, pompownie sieciowe 1 kpl.,
pompownie przysiółkowe 2kpl. w przysiółkach: Kąkole, Jaworskie, Dolinka, Łabędzie,
Buczyna, Mleczna, Barany, Solnisko, Korycina, Można,
PART III Sieć kanalizacyjna w dolinie Potoku Skawica obsługiwana przez oczyszczalnie
Zawoja – Skawica [COŚ]14 898 000
sieć kanalizacji sanitarnej 200 500 mm przysiółek Marszałki – COŚ Skawica
sieć kanalizacji sanitarnej, rurociągi tłoczne ścieków, pompownie sieciowe,
pompownie przysiółkowe w przysiółkach:
Bartyzelówka, Marszałki, Gołynia, Śmietany, Fujasy, Zenliki
sieć kanalizacji sanitarnej, rurociągi tłoczne ścieków, pompownie sieciowe,
pompownie przysiółkowe w przysiółkach:
Zawoja, Burdele, Giertudzy, Piergiesy, Jastrzębie Centrum, Kąkole
42
sieć kanalizacji sanitarnej, rurociągi tłoczne ścieków, pompownie sieciowe,
pompownie przysiółkowe w przysiółkach:
Bębny Dolne, Księża Polana, Trybały, Oblaźne, Petulowa, Rębaliska, Mosorne, Widły
PART I i II
lokalne oczyszczalnie ścieków (sąsiedzkie) w 14 przysiółkach na terenie zlewni Potoku
Skawica6 583 290
PART I II III
- oczyszczalnie przydomowe 390 kpl. 4 100 000
Razem system kanalizacji 35 463 000
Oczyszczalnia ścieków Zawoja – Widły Q = 500 m3/dob -
COŚ Zawoja – Skawica Q = 1500 m3/dob 8 085 000
Total 43 548 000
Figure 12. Construction costs of sewage system and wastewater treatment plant.
Figure 12 shows comparison between both methods proposed for Gmina Zawoja: traditional
central pipes system connected with Phytosystem method and decentralized solution (serving all
households by Phytosystem). Cost of central system construction in year 2003 (without the cost of 390
individual treatment plants for households that cannot be connected to the pipeline) was 39.4 mln zl for
whole Gmina Zawoja. From 2003 until 2009, this raised to 52.9 million zl, assuming 5% discount rate.
Since it is suggested that for the 390 households the best solution would be Phytosystem, this amount
should be further increased by 7.8 million zl (price of installing 390 Phytosystem wastewater treatment
plants in more remote parts of Gmina Zawoja). Hence the total price (2009) is 60.7 million zl. Costs of
connecting 2008 households to the central system are 2 mln zl.
43
The total cost of Phytosystem technology can be calculated if we multiply the unit installation
cost (around 20 000 zl per household) by the number of households in Gmina Zawoja (2398). It amounts
to almost 48 mln zl.
Operating costs have been taken into account as well. Two rates for treating 1m3 of wastewater
have been foreseen, based on preliminary information obtained from the local authorities: 18 and 20 zl.
- Multiplying the cost of 18 zl per 1m3 of treated wastewater by the annual amount of
wastewater produced in Gmina Zawoja per person, and by the average 3.8 people per
household, we estimate the total annual operating cost for 2008 houses connected to the
central system at 6 mln zl.. 390 houses served by Phytosythem have operating costs
consisting of energy costs (53 thousand zl) and costs of mineral sediments transportation (78
thousand zl). Altogether the operating costs for the central system reach 6.1 million zl (per
year, in prices as for 2009).
- Assuming the cost of 20 zl to be paid per 1m3 of wastewater, the total cost of operating the
centralized system would be around 6,8 mln zl annually.
Operating costs for Phytosystem consist of energy costs (around 324 thousand zl) and costs of
mineral sediments transportation (200 zl multiplied by 2398 households), i.e. 48 thousands zlotys.
44
Centralized System (2
variants)Phytosystem
Wastewater treatment price to be paid by
connected households18 [zl/m3] 20 [zl/m3] -
Initial cost of building main system for 2008
households (2009)52 864 093 52 864 093 40 160 000
Initial cost of 390 additional units 7 800 000 7 800 000 7 800 000
Initial cost of installation in total [zl] 60 664 093 60 664 093 47 960 000
Total costs of joining to the system paid
individually by 2008 connected households [zl]2 008 000 2 008 000 0
Operational costs of connected households per
year
(based on the price paid for wastewater
treatment)
6 022 145 6 691 272 -
Operational costs of not-
centralised households yearly
Mineral
sediments
transportation
78 000 78 000 479 600
Energy 52 715 52 715 324 129
Total operational costs per year [zl] 6 152 860 6 821 987 803 729
Figure 13 Total costs of Centralized System and Phytosystem.18
18 Source: GUS (2009), Program inwestycyjny rozbudowy i modernizacji gospodarki ściekami na terenie
Gminy Zawoja, www.stat.gov.pl,
45
In order to compare the costs of using both of the systems for 25 years, we take into account the
construction costs and the operating costs during 25 years of using the system (Figure 3). For calculating
it we assumed the annual discount rate of 5% during the whole period. After all households (2398) are
connected to the central system, total costs for 25 years of using the system (initial, operating and
connecting) for Gmina Zawoja will be 354 mln zl for all Gmina (with the cost of treatment of 1m3 of
sewage 18 zl/m3) and 386 mln zl (with the cost of treatment of 1m3 of sewage 20 zl/m3). Total costs of
Phytosystem method for the same period would be 86 mln zl.
CENTRALISED SYSTEM PHYTOSYSTEM
year
treatment costs
for 2008
households
connected to the
main system with
payment 18zl/m3
and 390
households with
Phytosystem
purification costs
for 2008
households
connected to the
main system with
payment 20zl/m3
and 390 households
with Phytosystem
Mineral
sediments
transportation
[zl/year]
energy cost
[zl]
1 6 152 860 6821987 479600 324130
2 6460503 7163087 503580 340336
3 6783528 7521241 528759 357353
4 7122705 7897303 555197 375221
5 7478840 8292168 582957 393982
6 7852782 8706777 612105 413681
7 8245421 9142115 642710 434365
8 8657692 9599221 674845 456083
9 9090577 10079182 708588 478888
10 9545105 10583141 744017 502832
11 10022361 11112298 781218 527974
46
12 10523479 11667913 820279 554372
13 11049653 12251309 861293 582091
14 11602135 12863875 904357 611195
15 12182242 13507068 949575 641755
16 12791354 14182422 997054 673843
17 13430922 14891543 1046907 707535
18 14102468 15636120 1099252 742912
19 14807591 16417926 1154215 780057
20 15547971 17238822 1211925 819060
21 16325370 18100763 1272522 860013
22 17141638 19005801 1336148 903014
23 17998720 19956091 1402955 948165
24 18898656 20953896 1473103 995573
25 19 843 589 22001591 1546758 1045352
opeartion cost
for 25 years293 658 161 325593662 38 359 700
total
(construction
+ operation)
354 322 253 386 257 755 86 319 700
Figure 14 Forecast of operation costs assuming 5% discount rate during next 25 years in Gmina Zawoja.
By comparison of both methods we can see that even if the initial costs are lower for the
traditional centralized system, this solution occurs to be more costly in long term operation. Below, we
present the additional category of costs and benefits – those related to environmental goods and services.
47
4.3. Risk assessment and environmental cost of centralized and decentralized wastewater
systems
To successfully implement the project it is very important to foreknow the advantages and
disadvantages of both possible solutions – centralized and decentralized (Phytosystem) wastewater
systems in the case of Gmina Zawoja. In particular, one should highlight the importance of indirect cots
which are extremely important and are not always taken into account when calculating the costs of a
project. In order to show the wider picture of the project, it would be rational to express economic costs
and benefits related to ecosystem goods and services affected by both systems under consideration.
These can be estimated using the environmental valuation methods presented in Figure 1.
Figure 15. Environmental valuation model
Ecosystem goods and services (broadly understood environmental resources) provide a complex set of
values to individuals and benefits to society. These values can be divided intodirect use values, indirect
use values (that are not directly tied to use, such as climate modulation, physical protection, and
stewardship for future generations) and non-use values. All of these benefits can be expressed in
monetary terms.
Indirect-use values associated with ecosystems include biological support, physical protection,
climate modulation, and global life support.
Non-use values are less direct, less tangible benefits to society and include option and existence
values. The option value is the value an individual places on the potential future use of the resource.
48
Existence values include bequest, stewardship, and benevolence motives. Bequest value is the
satisfaction gained through the ability to endow a natural resource on future generations. The
stewardship motive is derived from an altruistic sense of responsibility toward the preservation of the
environment and a desire to reduce environmental degradation. The benevolence motive reflects the
desire to conserve an environmental resource for potential use by others. The systemized description of
environmental values’ typology is represented in figure 3 below.
49
The total economic value is represented by the following equation (see Figure 2):
Direct-use values Goods and services
directly consumed by users
Products (e.g., edible,
ornamental, medicinal, inputs into
production process)
Recreation
Waste assimilation
Research
Education
Indirect-use values Indirect benefits arising
from ecological systems
Biological support – links to
other species and habitats
Physical protection – coastal
defense function
Climate regulation
Global life support – functions
that aid in supporting life on Earth
Non-use values Option value and existence
value
Bequest motive
Stewardship motive
Benevolence motive
Figure 17. Categories of Environmental Values (adapted from Spurgeon 199819
19 Spurgeon, J. 1998. "The Socio-Economic Costs and Benefits of Coastal Habitat Rehabilitation and Creation." Marine Pollution Bulletin. Volume 37, Number 8-12, Pages 373 to 382.
50
+
+
=
direct-use value
Total economic value
indirect-use value
non-use value
Figure 16. Equation of total economic value
Environmental valuation is also largely based on the assumption that individuals are willing to pay for
environmental gains and, conversely, are willing to accept compensation for some environmental losses.
The individual demonstrates preferences, which, in turn, place values on environmental resources. That
society values environmental resources is certain; monetizing the value placed on changes in
environmental assets such as coastal areas and water quality is far more complex. Environmental
economists have developed a number of market and non-market-based techniques to value the
environment. Figure 4 presents some of these techniques and classifies them according to the basis of the
monetary valuation, either market-based, surrogate market, or non-market-based.
Figure 18. Environmental Valuation Methods.
Market-Based Methods. Economists generally prefer to rely on direct, observable market
interactions to place monetary values on goods and services. Markets enable economists to
measure an individual's willingness to pay to acquire or preserve environmental services. In turn,
consumers reveal their preferences through the choices they make in allocating scarce resources
among competing alternatives. There are a number of market-based methods of environmental
valuation, two examples of which are presented below:
factor of production approach, where the value of a natural resource can be monetized based on its
value as a factor of production. Any output is a function of several important inputs (e.g., land, capital,
natural resources), which are collectively known as "factors of production." In their role as factors of
production, raw materials and environmental inputs are used in the production of other goods. When a
natural resource has direct value as a factor of production and the impact of environmental degradation
on future output of that resource can be accurately measured, the resultant monetary value of the
decline in production or higher cost of production can be measured.
51
defensive expenditures are those which are made on the part of industry and the public either to
prevent or counteract the adverse effects of pollution (Feather 199520) or other environmental
stressors. The defensive expenditures method, also known as the averting behavior approach,
monetizes an environmental externality by measuring the resources expended to avoid its negative
impacts on a surrounding community. Types of defensive expenditures include water purification
devices, beach nourishment, and replanting seagrasses.
Surrogate Market Methods . In the absence of clearly defined markets, the value of environmental
resources can be derived from information acquired through surrogate markets. The most common markets
used as surrogates when monetizing environmental resources are those for property and labor. The
surrogate market methods discussed below are the hedonic price method and the travel cost method.
The hedonic price method of environmental valuation uses surrogate markets for placing a value on
environmental quality. The real estate market is the most commonly used surrogate in hedonic pricing
of environmental values. Air, water, and noise pollution have a direct impact on property values. By
comparing properties with otherwise similar characteristics or by examining the price of a property
over time as environmental conditions change and correcting for all nonenvironmental factors,
information in the housing market can be used to estimate people's willingness to pay for
environmental quality.
The travel cost method is employed to measure the value of a recreational site by surveying travelers
on the economic costs they incur (e.g., time and travel expenses) when visiting the site from some
distance away. These expenditures are considered an indicator of society's willingness to pay for
access to the recreational benefits provided by the site.
Non-Market Methods. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) is a non-market-based technique that
elicits information concerning environmental preferences from individuals through the use of surveys,
questionnaires, and interviews. When deploying the contingent valuation method, the examiner constructs a
scenario or hypothetical market involving an improvement or decline in environmental quality.
Economic benefits and costs of ecosystem goods and services related to wastewater management in
Zawoja
20 Feather, T., and others. 1995. Review of Monetary and Nonmonetary Valuation of Environmental Investments.
IWR Report 95-R-2. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Alexandria, VA. Available at:
http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/iwr/pdf/95r02.pdf
52
With reference to the above described method of environmental evaluation in case of Zawoja project
for the wastewater system is recommended the structure as following:
To define the stages of construction, operating and deconstruction of both systems;
To define the main aspects, benefits and costs of both systems;
To define the environmental values and their categories for the benefits and costs of both systems;
To define the environmental valuation methods for the benefits and costs of both systems which can
be used for the calculation concrete figures.
With reference to the above described structure the comparison of both systems were done (see annex
1). This is the preliminary example of economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services related to
Zawoja wastewater system project. The possible benefits and costs of both systems are defined in the
categories of costs (direct and indirect) and values (direct use, indirect use) as well as indicating the
possible environmental valuation methods: Market-based (Factor of production, producer/consumer
surplus and defensive expenditures) and Surrogate markets (hedonic pricing and travel costs), which can
be used in the future in order to calculate the real costs and benefits and express them in monetary terms.
The preliminary valuation description covers a detailed interpretation of costs and benefits. The most
important examples of costs and benefits are additionally presented below.
The costs of centralized system appear considerably bigger than those of a decentralized system and
the benefits are considerably lower, accordingly. For example: the effect of centralized system on soil has a
risk on dehydration of the soil. The value of water naturally available for people can be valued based on
direct use value, referring to the market-based method of defensive expenditure. This involves calculating
the costs of building new wells reaching the water deeper in new places and the costs of building new pipes
reaching the water from the river. These costs have to be borne to remain in the same situation as before,
after the groundwater table has lowered because of the centralized wastewater treatment system. .
Meanwhile, the decentralized system does not make any effect on soil dehydration and, even more, brings
about the benefit - preserving the balance between the usage and reuse of water. This benefit can be
expressed as direct use value and its value can be calculated using the market-based method of defensive
expenditure. Another important example of difference in costs between these two systems can be seen with
regard topotential malfunction where the centralized system effects the bigger area in case of accident. The
costs for maintenance in case of accident for all system and surrounded area can be expressed as direct use
value and can also be counted using the market-based method of defensive expenditure. This would include
all expenses made to avoid accidents, as any accident might lead to worsening of the situation. Meanwhile,
the impact of the decentralized system, also calculated using market-based method of defensive
expenditure, is much smaller respectively, because of the smaller scale of this system.
The example of odour shows how indirect value of the ecosystem can be calculated with the use of
surrogate market method of hedonic pricing. The presence of a big wastewater treatment plant can reduce
53
the value of houses located in the plant’s area, due to smelly scent. Meanwhile, the decentralized system
appears as rather odourless system not having any costs in this aspect.
With reference to this preliminary analysis of economic valuation of environmental goods and services
related to Zawoja wastewater treatment system, it can be stated that the decentralized system is more
competitive and has more benefits and less costs then the centralized system. However, a detailed valuation
using the above methods would be recommendable.
4.4. Funding possibilities for the investment
To implement successfully the project and cover all costs described in previous chapter the financial
resources have to be taken into the consideration.
Covering the costs of the investment is basically the responsibility of its beneficiaries, i.e. in this case
the inhabitants of Gmina Zawoja, who can do it through direct and / or tax payments. However, due to the
size of the investment, the following external sources of funding can be considered.
Przedstawione poniżej potencjalne źródła finansowania inwestycji podzielone zostały na trzy grupy,
zależnie od tego, jaki podmiot może z nich skorzystać: władze gminy, mieszkańcy i firmy działające w
gminie oraz przedsiębiorstwa realizujące projekt kanalizacji.
Źródła finansowania dostępne dla władz gminy:
1. Fundusze strukturalne UE
1.1. Program Infrastruktura i Środowisko / Infrastructure and Environment
The program is a way to cover partially the costs of big infrastructural investments. More than 3
billion Euro was assigned here for water and sewage management (1 st Priority). The institution responsible
for the implementation of this Priority is the Ministry of Environment (Ministerstwo Środowiska).
Konkursy na wnioski w ramach Działania 1.1.: „Gospodarka wodno-ściekowa w aglomeracjach powyżej
15 tys. RLM” w 2009 roku były ogłaszane na www.ekoportal.gov.pl oraz w gazetach „Rzeczpospolita” i
„Gazeta Wyborcza”.
Należy pamiętać, że nie wszystkie koszty realizacji zakwalifikowanego projektu mogą być pokryte w
ramach tego programu, oraz że inwestycja powinna być zakończona do 31 grudnia 2015 roku.
1.2. Małopolski Regionalny Program Operacyjny / Małopolska Regional Operational Program
Działanie 7.1. w tym programie jest poświęcone gospodarce wodnej i ściekowej. Instytucją
Zarządzającą (IZ) MRPO jest Zarząd Województwa Małopolskiego. Obowiązki IZ pełnią jednostki
organizacyjne w ramach Urzędu Marszałkowskiego. Funkcje związane z bezpośrednią obsługą konkursu
pełnione są przez Departament Funduszy Europejskich Urzędu Marszałkowskiego Województwa
54
Małopolskiego. Dodatkowych informacji dla Wnioskodawców ubiegających się o dofinansowanie udziela
Centrum Informacyjne Fundusze Europejskie w Małopolsce
W celu poznania szczegółów dotyczących MRPO warto zapoznać się z „Uszczegółowieniem
Małopolskiego Regionalnego Programu Operacyjnego na lata 2007-2013”, uchwalonym 14 lipca 2009
przez Zarząd Województwa Małopolskiego (http://www.wrotamalopolski.pl/NR/rdonlyres/CC56FA13-
D6B5-466B-BFFF-E255479A9B99/550202/UMRPOzmienioneuchwalanr77809.pdf).
1.3. Program Operacyjny Rozwój Obszarów Wiejskich 2007-2013 (PROW)
W ramach PROW można pozyskać środki m.in. na dofinansowanie budowy sieci wodociągowych i
kanalizacyjnych oraz oczyszczalni ścieków. Na PROW składają się cztery osie, z których tutaj istotne są oś
1 (tzw. Gospodarcza) i 2 (tzw. Środowiskowa). Także w przypadku tego programu instytucją organizującą
konkursy jest Zarząd Województwa Małopolskiego
(http://www.wrotamalopolski.pl/root_PROW/Przewodnik+po+programie/Osie/).
2. Wojewódzki Fundusz Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej w Krakowie
Terminy składania wniosków o dofinansowanie zadań inwestycyjnych podawane są z
wyprzedzeniem na stronach internetowych instytucji (najbliższe to 31.08 i 31.10.2009). WFOŚiGW
udziela głównie umarzalnych pożyczek, które mogą być przeznaczone zarówno na realizację całych
inwestycji, jak i ich części.
3. Pożyczki bankowe i emisja obligacji
W gminie Zawoja znane są możliwości nawiązania współpracy z Bankiem Ochrony Środowiska.
BOS Bank, the leader in the sphere of crediting environmental projects in Poland, offers preferential
conditions for local governments investing in wastewater treatment systems.The major benefits are:
- lowered rate
- longer period of repayment
- offer tailored to the conditions and expectations of the local government and adjusted to the special
needs of the appointed project.
There are three possible alternatives of getting a creditfor the support of the local governments that invest
in the pro-ecological technologies there are also municipal bonds available.
The instrument that can be used for the large investment in the project of wastewater treatment
technology is the investment credit, but also there are available endorsements, guarantees, purchase of
claims due from local government units.
55
BOS offers not only financial support, but also consultancy services in terms of legal, ecological and
technical aspects of the investment.
Dodatkowym źródłem finansowania inwestycji gminnych (interesującym nie tylko w przypadku
kanalizacji, ale także np. budowy i remontu dróg albo obiektów rekreacyjno-sportowych) może być emisja
obligacji gminnych. Jest to rozwiązanie, które z powodzeniem zastosowało już wiele gmin w Polsce (np.
Kraków). Dla gminy – czyli emitenta obligacji – jest to rodzaj pożyczki, do spłaty której jest ona
zobowiązana w momencie wykupu. Pomagają one także w prywatyzacji mienia gminnego i przyciągają
kapitał, pobudzając prywatne przedsiębiorstwa do dalszych inwestycji. Ponadto pełnią funkcję promocyjną:
dobrze przeprowadzona akcja emisji obligacji może służyć podniesieniu rozpoznawalności i atrakcyjności
gminy. Dla nabywcy obligacje są rodzajem opłacalnej lokaty kapitału. Kwestie prawne związane z emisją i
obsługą obligacji uregulowane są ustawą z dnia 29 czerwca 1995r. o obligacjach.
Źródła finansowania dostępne dla indywidualnych gospodarstw i firm działających na terenie
gminy:
1. Fundusze UE: Program Operacyjny Rozwój Obszarów Wiejskich 2007-2013 (PROW)
Także pojedyncze gospodarstwa, jeśli zdecydują się na budowę indywidualnych oczyszczalni ścieków,
mogą pozyskać środki z funduszy strukturalnych UE (pośrednikiem w ich pozyskiwaniu i dystrybuowaniu
może być niekiedy gmina). Należy tu pamiętać o kilku kwestiach:
- nie wszystkie koszty realizowanego projektu mogą być pokryte przez dotację (np. tylko budowa
określonego typu oczyszczalni albo likwidacja szamba);
- chodzi tu zwykle o refinansowanie, a więc początkowo koszty muszą być poniesione z własnych
środków;
- składanie wniosków jest zwykle możliwe tylko w określonym czasie (jednorazowo lub cyklicznie).
„W nowym okresie programowania funduszy unijnych środki przeznaczone na rozwiązanie problemów
gospodarki ściekowej skierowano głównie na projekty duże, których zakres obejmuje większy obszar, np.
wieś, kilka wsi, gmina. W związku z tym o dofinansowanie muszą występować gminy lub organizacje
pozarządowe i dystrybuować dotacje dla właścicieli domów i gospodarstw. Istotnie ograniczono ilość
środków, o które można starać się bezpośrednio (bez pośrednictwa gminy lub innych organizacji). Dla
beneficjenta pomocy nie stanowi to żadnej różnicy, nawet jest to korzystne ze względu na pomoc, jaką
można uzyskać w gminie przy wypełnianiu stosownych formularzy. (…)”
56
W ramach priorytetu 3 PROW: Jakość życia na obszarach wiejskich i zróżnicowanie gospodarki wiejskiej,
planowane są m.in. działania w zakresie: różnicowanie w kierunku działalności nierolniczej oraz tworzenie
i rozwój mikroprzedsiębiorstw na terenach wiejskich.
W ramach działania pierwszego, pomocy udziela się z tytułu podjęcia lub rozwoju działalności w zakresie
wielu obszarów, w tym (…) robót i usług budowlanych oraz instalacyjnych (…). Dofinansowanie może
wynieść do 100 tys. zł, nie więcej niż 50% kosztów kwalifikowanych.”
(http://www.ekologiczne.info.pl/dotacje-na-przydomowe-oczyszczalnie-sciekow/ , 22.07.09)
2. Kredyty i pożyczki preferencyjne
2.1. Bank Ochrony Środowiska
„Preferencyjnych kredytów na przydomowe oczyszczalnie ścieków udziela Bank Ochrony Środowiska
wypełniając swoje cele statutowe, a także we współpracy z Narodowym Funduszem Ochrony Środowiska i
Gospodarki Wodnej i Wojewódzkimi Funduszami Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej oraz
producentami oczyszczalni.
Aktualnie BOŚ oferuje także kredyty na zakup lub montaż urządzeń i wyrobów służących ochronie
środowiska. Maksymalny okres kredytowania wynosi 5 lat, oprocentowanie jest zmienne i ustalane
okresowo przez zarząd banku. W przypadku istniejącej współpracy pomiędzy bankiem a sprzedawcą bądź
producentem, który pokrywa część odsetek, oprocentowanie wynosi od 1% rocznie”
(http://www.ekologiczne.info.pl/dotacje-na-przydomowe-oczyszczalnie-sciekow/ , 22.07.09).
2.2. Europejski Fundusz Rozwoju Wsi Polskiej (EFRWP)
EFRWP oferuje mikrokredyty i kredyty na przedsięwzięcia inwestycyjne na terenach wiejskich w zakresie
agroturystyki. Mikrokredyty mogą być udzielane na sfinansowanie wszelkich nakładów związanych z
uruchomieniem nowych lub rozwojem istniejących pozarolniczych przedsięwzięć gospodarczych w
dziedzinie produkcji, handlu lub usług, które są realizowane na wsi i w miastach do 20 tys. mieszkańców.
Kredyty na przedsięwzięcia inwestycyjne na terenach wiejskich w zakresie agroturystyki mogą być
udzielane na sfinansowanie nakładów inwestycyjnych związanych z uruchomieniem nowych lub rozwojem
istniejących przedsięwzięć gospodarczych w zakresie agroturystyki na wsi lub w miastach do 20 tys.
mieszkańców, obejmujących zakup, budowę, rozbudowę, modernizację, adaptację oraz pierwsze
wyposażenie inwestycyjne obiektów (http://www.efrwp.com.pl/polish/kredyty/mikrokredyty/, 22.07.09).
2.3. Fundusz Mikro (FM)
Fundusz Mikro oferuje preferencyjne pożyczki dla małych przedsiębiorców, udzielane na kwoty do 200
tys. zł (wysokość zależy od warunków zabezpieczenia i okresu spłaty). Kredyt przyznawany jest
mikroprzedsiębiorcom oraz osobom prowadzącym zarejestrowaną działalność agroturystyczną, na wszelki
57
„rozsądny cel, związany z działalnością firmy” (http://www.funduszmikro.com.pl/dla_kogo.php, 22.07.09).
Szczegółowe informacje można uzyskać w krakowskim oddziale Funduszu.
Źródła finansowania dostępne dla wykonawców projektu:
Częściowemu pokryciu kosztów budowy i obsługi systemu kanalizacji gminy Zawoja może służyć
uzyskanie dofinansowania w Wojewódzkim Funduszu Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej w
Krakowie przez firmy realizujące tę inwestycję. Terminy składania wniosków o dofinansowanie zadań
inwestycyjnych podawane są z wyprzedzeniem na stronach internetowych instytucji (najbliższe to 31.08 i
31.10.2009).
Warto też pamiętać o potencjalnych szansach uzyskania dofinansowania w ramach Szwajcarskiego
Mechanizmu Finansowego.
4.5. Conclusions and recommendations:
The total costs after households connection to the Centralizing System after 25 years are around 354
mln zl assuming the cost of 18zl/m3 and 386 mln zl assuming the cost of 20 zl/m3 for wastewater
treatment. After all calculations were done, Phytosystem method appears much cheaper because all its costs
for the same period are 86 mln zl. Furthermore, the difference can be even more significant in favor of
decentralized system, as in some cases more than one household could be connected to one Phytosystem
unit.
The second part of the chapter highlighted additional advantages and disadvantages of both possible
solutions – centralized and decentralized (Phytosystem) wastewater systems in the case of Gmina Zawoja.
These were the economic costs and benefits related to ecosystem goods and services affected by both
systems. They were defined as important but unfortunately they are not always taken into account when
calculating the costs of a project. We also provided recommendations on how to estimate these costs and
benefits using the environmental valuation methods.
While deciding which of the two wastewater treatment solutions to implement in Zawoja, it should
be taken into account that for each of them there can be different chances of obtaining external funding.
Due to the guidelines of available programs (e.g. connected with EU structural funds), it is highly probable
that it would be easier for the decentralized solution.
58
5. Social acceptance and expectations
In order to achieve more effective results based on democratic society processes, decision making for
sustainable development of communities should be participatory, inclusive and empowering. It is crucial
to give the local inhabitants a possibility to express their opinions and encourage their voluntary
contribution to the local development. The involvement and will of the community individuals in the
process of selecting, implementing and evaluating wastewater treatment system, regardless of its kind, is
indispensable for its positive outcome. In this specific case, the project would be initiated by the local
authorities, however the citizen participation must be ensured.
In this part of the report the demographic situation of Gmina Zawoja is analyzed, taking into account
the special aspects of people’s living conditions and the level of education; the brief description of local
governance, communication, and social participation processes is provided. In addition, the role of the
local population within the decision-making process is discussed and the suggestions as for how to obtain
good results using participatory approach are made. Also, the Action Plan for raising awareness of the
local community and getting them involved in the decision-making process is developed; within it six
concrete steps are proposed for the further realization, the list of recommendations on organization of the
procedures and meetings is presented, and the possible variant of the informational leaflet to raise citizens’
awareness is developed.
5.1. Demographic situation, spatial aspects and education in Zawoja
According to Zawoja’s Gmina Hall data from 30 June 2009 the exact number of citizens is 9111 divided
into 7 so called “sołectwa” what presents the table below21.
# Name of the community Number of citizens
1 Skawica Centrum 2 155
21Source: Statistics data – number of citizens In Zawoja, Town Hall 2009. For detailed demographic description of Gmina Zawoja please look:
http://www.wrotamalopolski.pl/NR/rdonlyres/AC96D623-F752-4012-A536-7655943101B2/484318/SZRZAWOJA.doc
2 Skawica Sucha Góra 454
3 Zawoja Przysłop 1 528
4 Zawoja Dolna 2 105
5 Zawoja Cetrum 576
6 Zawoja Mosorne 890
7 Zawoja Górna 1 403
SUM 9 111
Figure 19. Number of citizens divided by place
Zawoja is the owner of the title of the longest village in Poland, which is proudly accented by most of the
inhabitants, but this honor has its disadvantage when it comes to the infrastructure and developmental
management of the village. When it comes to basic household infrastructure and facilities which allow
habitants to manage their basic resources in a sustainable way it turns out that Zawoja has a major
problem: the distances. For example, in case of water management – the main issue of this report – the
government should have to build at least 60 km of a canalization network in order to treat the wastewater
of nearly all the households. The problem is more complicated when we take into consideration the
altitude differences. However, social implications are as crucial as geographical issues, which make the
situation even more complex. The distances causes a problem when it comes to communication: on one
hand the usual form of information spreading due to social contacts in case of remote households can not
be used, and on the other hand distant households can increase the feeling of isolation which causes
obstacles while initiating the dialogue. Therefore, in any situation the focus should be in the efficient
communication and the local authorities should pay additional attention to reduce people’s isolation.
When it comes to communication, one has to know not only who the participants are, but also what are
they like. It is very important, that the government knows how to approach its citizens and so that it could
address the issues differently depending on which group it wants to convince. Young and educated
persons might be easier convinced about the reasons behind the introduction of new water treatment
management, than older citizens, who are accustomed to the old system and are less flexible in their
behavior. According to the statistics, half of the students from Zawoja continue their education in any kind
of higher education unit, and only half of them return to their original home village. Any action
undertaken by the local government should be focused on the explanation of the reasons behind the
measures and on providing comprehensible information. On the other hand, before introducing any new
measures, the local government should analyze them in terms of to what extent the proposed action
requires changes in the citizen’s life and behavior, and to which extent is the change inevitable. Those
| P a g e 60
solutions should be provided, which have the most common features with the previous practices, thus the
unnecessary training and feeling of unknown can be avoided.
Age structure in Zawoja and Skawina
13%
24%
63% under 1818 to 65 years old
over 65 years old
Figure 20. Age structure In Zawoja and Skawina 22
In case of water management system in Zawoja there is one more serious issue that has to be taken into
consideration while choosing the best solution. According to the statistics the above mentioned proportion
of returns has been increasing during the last few years, so despite the fact, that the birth /death ratio is
negative, the population of Zawoja is officially growing, and thus the question arises how to connect the
new-coming members to the established solution. On the other hand, not officially, a significant number of
Zawoja citizens works abroad due to the high unemployment of the regions, which means, that numerous
households can be left without any surveillance for long periods. A safe water management solution has to
be created to address this issue.
5.2. Governance, communication and social participation problems in Zawoja community.
The current situation.
1. Social Participation
There are several ways for the citizens of Zawoja to participate in the local decision making process, as
well as to become an active society.
The first part can be realized through participation in the elections for the Council and the Mayor,
and through participation in meetings of the Council, which are open to the public, and 22 Source: Statistics data – number of citizens In Zawoja, Town Hall 2009
| P a g e 61
announcements on the topic and date of the meetings are published 7 days before the actual event.
Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the people both to participate/vote in the elections and to attend
the meetings of the Council, whenever important questions are being discussed. In order to
achieve this, the responsible officials should ensure that the information on the events has reached
its addressees and provide help for those who have difficulties with attending the events. It is
especially important taking into consideration the segmentation of the Gmina Zawoja and the
distances between its parts. Events such as Council meetings can be used as important
communication tools between the citizens themselves, who might not be aware of the problems
that are being faced at the other end of the Gmina, as well as between the citizens and the
authorities, and might reduce the isolation of the separated parts. The 50,38% participation rate in
the 2006 elections, which is almost 11% higher than the average participation in whole Poland
(39,56%, the second turn23), shows that the citizens of Zawoja, in their majority, are interested in
actively shaping their own community. To maintain this interest, the decision making procedures
have to be transparent and accessible for the locals. This enables a dialogue between the
governmental representatives and the local citizens which can be conducted in a professional
manner and which would address the actual needs of the community.24
Becoming an active society can be obtained both by top-down and bottom-up processes with a
crucial role of the local government that supports bottom-up processes and provides all necessary
measures so that civic movements can take place. However, this support has to go along with a
willingness to communicate with and to listen to the propositions which come from the civic
initiatives. Zawoja has a rich history in civic organizations from which some had meaningful
impact on the community.
23 http://wybory2006.pkw.gov.pl/kbw/frekwencja.html?fid=-1&id=000000&tura=224 Source: Statistics data – number of citizens In Zawoja, Town Hall 2009
| P a g e 62
Figure 21. Voter turnout in Zawoja
a) The quarterly magazine Pod Diablakiem is an important platform which connects the widely
spread inhabitants of Zawoja and informs them about the recent events in the community life. As
an important mean which shapes local identity by bringing closer the persons and introduce them
to each other, can be used also to educate people and inform them about the current problems of
the local society, as well as to provide objective information and be a source of neutral opinion.
b) There is a key role for education workers to teach children from the very beginning about their
responsibility for the future and the environment. The engagement of children from the early
stages in the social life can be beneficial when we consider their possible influence on their
families as well as if we think about all the wrong decisions that can be prevented by rising
awareness from their early life.
c) Civic initiatives are important both to address issues which are not questioned by the local
authorities as well as to monitor the governments’ activity. However such initiatives should be
regarded by the local authorities as a link between the society and themselves, a platform where a
dialogue can be undertaken and additional information can be provided regarding the efficiency of
their work and people’s expectations can be expressed. The impressive number of the existing
NGOs present in the region and the Gmina proves that people from Zawoja are both aware and
willing to act. These include Grupa Partnerska ‘Łączy nas Babia Góra’, Stowarzyszenie Inicjatyw
Babiogórskich, Stowarzyszenie Właścicieli Lasów Prywatnych, Stowarzyszenie Lokalna Grupa
Działania Podbabiogórze, Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Zrównoważonego Rozwoju „Przysłop”.
Local NGOs in the region are mainly concerned in environmental protection, which make them a
perfect partner while solving the Gmina`s water treatment issues.
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51% 49% 50% 53%
19%
56%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Localelections(1998)
Localelections(2002)
Localelections(2006)
Presidentialelections(2005)
EU Parlament(2009)
Accesionreferendum
(2003)
VOUTER TURNOUT IN ZAWOJA
63
2. Communication
The above mentioned NGOs can be also involved by the local authorities to provide feedback on their
work. Communication between the authorities and the society is essential for the proper functioning of the
community and ensures that its development is in correspondence with its needs and requirements.
a) Problems perceived by the citizens
During our visits to the villagers we found that not only this communication is not sufficient in the life of
the Gmina, but this is one of the main reasons for people’s dissatisfaction. This leads to the second
problem which is the limited trust in local authorities. When people feel that their opinion does not matter,
because no one listens to them, they loose their conviction that the local government is in their service.
They have no possibility to express what really concerns them, such as the quality of roads, the rate of
unemployment and the necessity to go abroad in order to find a decent job. People talk openly about their
problems, if they feel that the other side pays attention to their words. The more persons are asked the
more accurate information can be obtained on the current situation. Thus, besides the most common
complains mentioned before, we could hear about illegal jobs, low incomes which prevents households
from the introduction of the gas heating instead of coal.
Many of the above mentioned problems could have been avoided due to the participatory approach
been applied in the past. Therefore, in order to prevent similar situation happening in the future, it is
strongly recommended to consider including the members of the Zawoja community in the decision-
making process from the very beginning. For more information on the participatory approach see the next
chapter.
b) Awareness of the wastewater treatment problem
On the other hand, the lack of communication can be also an obstacle while trying to introduce a
measurement which comes from the governmental level. Cooperation is more efficient when both sides
are aware of the problem and agree on its urgent status. The common awareness of the water treatment
problem can not be ignored while considering any new solution to this issue. Basic conversation with the
citizens of Gmina Zawoja demonstrates the lack of education and knowledge in this matter.
When asking Zawoja`s citizens we found that although they more or less openly admit that the problem of
leaking septic tanks and illegal dumping of the wastewater is familiar to them, they did not express any
concern to change the situation nor were they aware of the governmental policy regarding this issue.
Although the citizens realize the connection between not proper treatment of sewage and the quality of the
Skawica River, they prefer to deny the responsibility or to transfer it to their neighbors. People talk overtly
about dumping wastewater to the gardens without showing the slightest concern about how it affects their
environment. Housewives who keep their households clean and tidy do not see the deeper connection and
| P a g e 64
the fact that their beautiful gardens grew on waste and sewage. Few citizens expressed their concern about
the soil, but most of them do not realize how the chemicals can affect the soil quality. When faced with the
demand for obligatory sewage treatment Zawoja`s inhabitants` greatest concern is connected with the
costs of such a measure. Most of them are worried that the regular costs related with the connection to the
pipeline system will be altogether higher than the costs of discharging the septic tank only a few times a
year. On the other hand, the amounts paid for, and the frequency of discharging is clear evidence, that
citizens are not using this service at all, or are using it to a limited extent, either due to the leaking or to the
illegal discharging. When considering the introduction of any water treatment service in their home, they
also complain about the demolitions that have to be made and the costs connected with them. Despite their
concerns, the majority of the inhabitants has accepted the pipeline system and is ready to connect to it,
most of the time treating it as the necessary evil. Other reasons to connect to the canalization network are
less annoyance or simply conformism. On the other hand, it seems that citizens like the old septic tank
system because they feel they have control over it, so this information also should be kept in mind while
looking for alterative, household wastewater treatment solutions.
5.3. Why to involve local people in the process, the role of the local population
Inclusion of the local community in the decision-making process is crucial for a success of a given project.
As Irvin and Stansbury (2004)25 say, “It is difficult to envision anything but positive outcomes from
citizens joining the policy process, collaborating with others and reaching consensus to bring about
positive social and environmental change.”
Participatory approach:
enables voices of minority groups to be heard
includes local knowledge and local values in the process of decision-making
captures plurality of perspectives
has the potential to prevent failures in communication
can lead to more effective and adaptive management plans
leads to social learning
tends to result in long-lasting solutions
contributes to local development.
The establishment of good relationship between all interested parts of the local society has not only
positive short-term effects of the collaboration increased effectiveness, but also long-term effect of the
well-developed ability to resolve problematic situations in a common, optimal way.
25 Irvin R.A.; Stansbury J. 2004. Citizen Participation in Decision Making: Is It Worth the Effort?. Public Administration Review. 64(1). pp.55-65
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As Renn et al (1993)26 emphasize: “Citizens are the potential victims and benefactors of proposed
planning measures; they are the best judges to evaluate the different options available on the basis of the
concerns and impacts revealed through the other two groups”. Local citizens should be therefore seen as
important stakeholders with rights, responsibilities and interests in the issue [revealed by other
stakeholders]”.
Forms of participation and local perspective
Participation can take various forms, for instance: group interviews, forums, decision modeling,
information provision, workshops or citizens’ jury .The range of possible initiatives aiming at inclusion of
the local community into the decision-making process is broad, however not all of them will work in all
situations. Therefore, in order for the community participation to be an effective policy-making tool, great
care should be taken whilst deciding on the strategy. Attention should be paid to the specificity of the
place, people, their educational and cultural backgrounds and other characteristics of the place and its
inhabitants.
5.4. Action Plan for rising awareness of the local community and getting them involved in
the decision-making process.
The year 2015 constitutes the deadline for implementing a viable and fully operating wastewater treatment
system in the communities as it is stated in Polish legislation. Until this point in time the wastewater
treatment issue must be completely solved. Otherwise, the Gmina might suffer serious consequences
resulting from the environmental legislation. The success of the wastewater treatment project is
considerably conditioned with public acceptance, not only during the system installation, but also in
course of its exploitation. Social sustainability must be thus ensured in order to make the project effective
and durable. Maintaining proper relations between the local authorities and the stakeholders, paying
special attention to the local citizens is crucial for such sustainable process. In order to achieve that, an
Action Plan focusing on social involvement and inter-stakeholder communication has been proposed.
Objectives:
- creating good relations between the local authorities and the citizens, as well as other stakeholders
(NGOs, municipal company, educational establishments, local business, church leaders, etc.)
26 Ortwin Renn, Thomas Webler, Horst Rakel, Peter Dienel and Branden Johnson. 1993. Public participation in
decision making: A three-step procedure. Policy Sciences. 26(3). pp. 189-214
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- ensuring good communication of environmental problems
- ensuring multi-stakeholder participation in problem resolution process
- creating multilateral responsibility
- facilitating active cooperation between the stakeholders
- raising the effectiveness and smoothness of the implementation of the chosen resolution
- maintaining the above mentioned processes
Multi-stakeholder task force:
It is highly advised to create a task force that would work on the implementation of all the proposed
activities. It is essential to involve all the interested actors from the very beginning of the process to build
long-lasting trust and ensure full participation and responsibility of all the parties. The community could
in this way feel their opinion is taken into account. It would also ensure incorporating the community
know-how and adequate information flow. The members of this working group should be involved in the
project on a voluntary basis.
The task force would consist of representatives of the following stakeholders:
- Local authorities
- Local NGOs
o Grupa Partnerska ‘Łączy nas Babia Góra’
o Stowarzyszenie Inicjatyw Babiogórskich
o Stowarzyszenie Właścicieli Lasów Prywatnych
o Stowarzyszenie Lokalna Grupa Działania Podbabiogórze
o Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Zrównoważonego Rozwoju „Przysłop”
o other.
- Local community representatives
o Educational establishment (teachers, doctors and university professors)
o Local business
o Local activists
o Church leaders
- Municipal company representatives
Mediator/facilitator:
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In order to provide all stakeholders’ participation in the process, it is recommended to hire an unbiased
mediator/facilitator accepted by the task force. Mediation/facilitation is particularly useful tool in decision
making processes involving numerous stakeholders and complex issues. Engaging a mediator would
considerably help the local authorities to focus on the necessary issues instead of taking responsibility for
the meeting course and other activities organization. The mediator should participate in the task force
work at its all stages. If it is infeasible to hire a professional it is possible that he/she is chosen from the
local community - might be a member of a regional level NGO or come from the educational
establishment. It is important that he/she is neutral and respected by all. The mediator will have no
influence on taken decisions and chosen solutions.
Mediator’s characteristics:
- Neutral and unbiased
- Has good interpersonal skills (especially active listening skills)
- Good observer
- Must not be a controversial figure in the society
Mediator’s main tasks:
- Organizes task force meetings
- Coordinates participants’ activities
- Communicates important announcements
- Makes sure all stakeholders can express their point of view
- Supports the process of consensus gaining
- Looks after procedure and agreement details
- Tries to make the process constructive
Action items:
1) Information campaign
As the society plays a crucial role in the implementation of any community project, awareness about the
problems related to the sewage treatment in Zawoja among the local citizens is considered to be a basis for
further collaboration with the local authorities on that matter. The information campaign would be
organized with participation of the local NGOs (see them listed above) and has the following objectives:
- to highlight the existing problem;
- to show the link between environmental problems and wastewater treatment in local households;
- to provide data and stats (per capita) – regarding the wastewater treatment;
- to inform people about the valid Polish legislation in terms of wastewater treatment;
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- to outline possible solutions including possible financial support from different sources + give
recommendations;
The proposed campaign is designed to be realized on different levels and by diverse means:
- Environmental workshops with school children focusing specifically on wastewater treatment
could be led by a local NGO in cooperation with schools.
- Flyers/leaflets delivered to households as well as posters on public announcement boards and
in local shops with the information on main problems and possible solutions. It is strongly
advised to pay attention to the structure and vocabulary (the easier the better), as some people
may not understand technical language and will only get confused or stressed out. Visual aids
are also extremely helpful to successfully explain the important issues.
- Cooperation with local media: event coverage, awareness articles, announcements on the
topic.
o “Pod Diablakiem”
o “Wirtualna Zawoja” - http://www.zawoja.pl/
- Involvement of local churches in the topic; as church is a very important and opinion-making
actor in the community, its participation could bring very positive effects in terms of raising
the community responsibility for environmental protection. Environmental ethics lies within
the Christian morals (as stated by Vatican), thus church participation would be highly
valuable. Some church leaders were already involved in bottom-up environmental initiatives
(e.g. father Wilk ran educational activities in Przyslop). The Discalced Carmelites’ Order
located in Przysłop could be one of the partners involved in such actions especially
considering the unique location of the monastery and its potential for awareness raising on
protection of the local landscape.
2) Exhibitory phytosystem household plant
In order to provide the local citizens with a “touchable” model of the new system, it is proposed to install
one Phytosystem unit in the centre of the village, possibly in proximity of the Gmina building or church.
This would enable Zawoja citizens to observe what the system looks like, how it is operates and managed.
Also they could see the quality of water purified by the system. The main objective of this action is to
empower the local community through providing them with transparent information. Some people,
depending on their education level, may be skeptical towards new and unknown solutions, many times just
because they don’t understand them. They are afraid of higher costs of such change and of the necessity to
learn how to manage the new technology. By giving them access to information and providing easy
instructions, it is possible to build trust and enhance acceptance of new solutions by the local citizens.
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3) Multi-stakeholder meeting
The previous steps of the action plan aim at ensuring a real will of all stakeholders to see and choose the
best option. Once the citizens are familiar with the situation on the ground and with the possible solutions
including their advantages and drawbacks as well as financial aspect of the investment, a multi-
stakeholder meeting is planned to be held. The objective of this meeting is to involve all the stakeholders
and ensure direct dialogue among them (especially the local citizens that are often excluded from the
process) in the selection process. During the meeting, all the issues and unclear points should be
discussed. Meeting moderation is highly recommended (see mediator’s tasks above) in order to ensure
order and smooth procedure and as an outcome consensus is expected to be achieved.
Making the final decision
The communication process between all interested parts of Zawoja community will help to clarify
opinions and to take into account all possible interests (wishes of the local citizens, technical requests of
the municipal company, advices made by NGOs, etc.). The common understanding of the general goals,
the establishment of well-developed dialogue between all interested sides can connect the official and non-
official parts of the decision-making process, and make the final procedure as an expression of the general
opinion.
In spite of the fact that the final official decision has to be made by the local authorities, the whole process
should be directed to searching a non-conflict compromise which can be just expressed finally in the
Uchwala Rady Gminy.
4) Spreading the information about final decision
The next step of the proposed Action Plan is related with spreading the information about final decision
through Zawoja’s community. The importance of this step is obvious: firstly, the communication process
will have its logical continuation; secondly, the local community till the end of the decision-making
process will be actively involved in it; and finally, citizens will be prepared and ready to implement this
decision in a proper way.
5) Follow-up on social moods: evaluation of the implementation process.
In order to make the process non-linear and to ensure its continuity, it is also necessary to develop the
clear system of process public evaluation and to request regularly the feedback from all parts involved in
it. The task force (with the help of regional NGOs) can be responsible for the further control and
evaluation of this project in dynamics. Also the activity of the task force could be very valuable outcome
not only for the final problem resolving, but also for the whole process consecution.
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5.5. Summary:
1. Zawoja is considered to be one of the longest villages in Poland, which has its disadvantages related
with maintaining the infrastructure, spatial and developmental management of the village. The
distances also cause a communicational problem: on the one hand, the usual form of information
spreading due to social contacts in case of remote households can not be used; on the other hand,
distant households can increase the feeling of isolation which causes obstacles while initiating the
dialogue.
2. There are several ways for the citizens of Zawoja to participate in the local decision making process,
as well as to become an active society. The first part can be realized through participation in the
elections for the Council and the Mayor, and through participation in meetings of the Council, which
are open to the public. It is crucial to enhance the people both to vote in the elections and to attend the
meetings of the Council, whenever important questions are being discussed. Events such as Council
meetings can be used also as important communication tools between the citizens themselves. The
50,38% participation rate in the 2006 elections, which is almost 11% higher than the average
participation in whole Poland, shows that the majority of Zawoja citizens are interested in their own
community development.
3. During the visit to the villagers it has been found that the lack of communication in the life of the
Gmina is one of the main reasons for people’s dissatisfaction and limited trust in local authorities.
Also the lack of communication can be an obstacle while trying to introduce a measurement which
comes from the governmental level.
4. In order to establish proper relations between the local authorities and all kinds of Zawoja’s
stakeholders, an Action Plan focusing on social involvement and inter-stakeholder communication has
been proposed.
5. Within the Action Plan implementation, it is highly advised to create a task force that would work on
the realization of all the proposed activities. The task force would consist of representatives of all
kinds of stakeholders presented in Gmina Zawoja.
6. The Action Plan consists of six concrete steps as follows: 1) Realization of the informational
campaign, 2) Exhibitory phytosystem household plant installation, 3) Holding of a multi-stakeholder
meeting, 4) Making the final decision, 5) Spreading the information about final decision, and 6)
Follow-up on social moods: evaluation of the implementation process.
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6. Sustainable water management in Zawoja and the local development
6.1. Introduction
The following chapter presents the overview of the current situation of Zawoja`s economy and local
strategy of development for Zawoja and Małopolska region, and explains how building wastewater
treatment system will affect local economy, with the special regard for tourism. Other areas of
development based on decentralized wastewater treatment system are presented, including innovative
ideas such as organizing internships for engineering students to study Phytosystem solution when
implemented.
6.2. General introduction to Zawoja’s economic activities, special emphasis on tourism and
farming sectors
For many years, the farming has been the major occupation of the citizens, but recently the village has
been choosing different economic model, based on tourism. There are mainly two touristic activities,
namely trekking (summer) and skiing (winter). The Mayor estimates that Zawoja accommodates similar
number of tourists in both summer and winter seasons. In 2000, the Babia Gora National Park sold
approximately 70,000 entry tickets27. The data of monthly guests’ number in the hostel is shown on
Figure 1.
27 Lamorski, T. & P. Dąbrowski. Tourism and its impacts on biodiversity: the case study of Babia Gora National Park / Biosphere Reserve Poland [accessed on] 21.07.2009 [online] http://www.cbd.int/doc/case-studies/tour/cs-tour-babia-gora-pl.pdf
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Figure 22. Monthly number of guests in a hostel (source: Lamorski & Dabrowski).
In farming sector, each farmer had approximately total 5.6 ha consisting of several 0.1-0.2 ha small plots
in 2000. 42% of farm goods production was consumed by the residents themselves in year 2000. Cereals
and potatoes were most commonly grown (Lamorski & Dabrowski). Numbers of livestock observed in the
village in 2000 are shown on Table 1.
Livestock Number
Cattle 2230
Pig 582
Horse 216
Goat 128
Sheep 3
Figure 23. Number of livestock in year 2000 (source: Lamorski & Dabrowski)
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6.3. Sectoral wastewater emissions and potential actions
Relatively larger business sectors, e.g. food processing (esp. fruit), construction, plastic windows
production, are considered to be complying fairly well with wastewater-related regulations. However,
individual households and farming sector are expected to be better regulated28
For the agricultural sector for instance, the wheat requires following amount of fertilizer input depending
on soil, climatic conditions and desired yield (Table 2). Although the numbers come from the USA,
components of wastewater from each household per year were calculated (Table 3).
Nutrient Dose (kg/ha)
Total nitrogen 0-135
Total phosphorus 10-30
Total potassium 20-100
Figure 24. Wheat fertilizer requirements
(source: Government of Alberta, 2001; North Dakota State University, 200829)
Nutrient Dose (kg/yr/household)
Total nitrogen 5.1
Total phosphorus 0.87
Total potassium 1.6
Figure 25. Wastewater components (source: Henze et al. 200830)
28 Information gained during the interview with Zawoja Mayor.29 Government of Alberta, Agriculture and Rural Development (2001) Wheat Nutrition and Fertilizer Requirements: Nitrogen. [accessed on] 21.07.2009 [online] http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/crop1273
North Dakota State University (2008) ProCrop: Fertilizer recommendations [accessed on] 21.07.2009 [online] http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/procrop/wwh/wwrfer08.htm
30 Henze, M., M. C. M. van Loosdrecht, D. Brdjanovic, G. A. Ekama (2008) Biological wastewater treatment. IWA Publishing, London, UK
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It is currently perceived problematic by some people that the content of septic tanks is leaking or dumped
in farming fields. However, when only amount of nutritional elements in the wastewater is taken into
account, one household emit far below required fertilizer level for farming. Thus, it may imply that in
order to circulate local resource on site rather than purchasing fertilizers produced through industrial
processes, dumping the content of septic tank is rather encouraged in farming sector. Furthermore, the
tables above suggest that in order to meet fertilizer requirements, 20 households can dump their septic
tank contents to one farmer’s fields, or 3 ha of farming land. Since current major issue in wastewater
pollution is eutrophication, the contents of wastewater may be better utilized when applied to farm fields.
The situation may be not so simple when micro toxic elements and organisms are taken into
consideration. Currently Polish legislation prohibits dumping the content of septic tank directly to farming
fields. Case studies31 show that introduction of simple treatment system into the septic tank would make
the re-use of wastewater resource acteptable to farming fields.
6.4. Local strategy of development for both Zawoja and Małopolska region
There are several documents which support the need of building a new wastewater treatment plant in
Zawoja and help to structure the ideas of potential development connected with this practice. The intention
of this section is to outline briefly possible connections of this practice with some strategic documents
prepared on three levels of administration and from wider perspectives, beginning from the most detailed
Strategy of Sustainable Development for Gmina Zawoja 2005-2025, through Local Strategy for
Development of Podbabiogórze in Powiat Suski, prepared and sponsored by The Association of Lokalna
Grupa Działania “Podbabiogórze”, to Regional Strategy for Innovation Development of the Malopolska
region 2008-201332. Such analysis will help perceiving the practice of implementing a new wastewater
treatment as a strategic action for future development of Zawoja and its region as well as illustrating
potential benefits gained through implementing innovative solutions.
31 Assayed, A. K. (2007) Grey wastewater management: sustainable options for crop production in the East Mediterranean Region. Proceedings of Sustainable management of wastewater for agriculture, Aleppo, Syria
Assayed, M., W. Suleiman, B. Hayek and S. Dalahmeh (2007) Meeting the Dublin Principles in greywater management in rural communities in the Northerneastern Badia of Jordan. Proceedings of Sustainable management of wastewater for agriculture, Aleppo, Syria
32 Gawlik, J. (red.) Regionalna Strategia Innowacji Województwa Małopolskiego, Załącznik do Uchwały Zarządu Województwa Małopolskiego nr 831/08 z dnia 18 września 2008 r., Kraków: 2008.
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6.4.1. Strategy of Sustainable Development for Gmina Zawoja 2005-2025
In 2004, the authorities of Zawoja asked an outer company (Lex Moderator Sp. Z o.o.) to prepare the
Strategy of Sustainable Development for the Gmina for years 2005-202533.
According to this document, it is clearly expressed that for a satisfying and sustainable development of
Zawoja itself and adjacent areas, one of the most important problems that need to be addressed is
developing a modern and sustainable wastewater management system. Both author of the strategy and
local government perceive the need of developing proper wastewater treatment as an important element of
prevention against environmental destruction. Lack of proper treatment of wastewater may lead to more
serious problems such as unsatisfactory level of life or lose of interest from potential visitors and
investors, due to environmental destruction and lack of proper infrastructure. Lack of well developed
wastewater treatment system in result may cause a constant depreciation of life standard in Zawoja, what
in further perspective can result in the raise of migration rate. The authors of the document place this
problem on the first place in the hierarchy of the problems that are needed to be solved in Zawoja.34
Furthermore, the document enhances a need for creating opportunities for social and economical
development which will be the result of citizen’s involvement in taking care for Zawoja sustainability,
together with taking care for environmental aspects in the wider context of the region.
6.4.2. Local Strategy for Development of Podbabiogórze in Powiat Suski
Local Strategy for Development of Podbabiogórze in Powiat Suski was prepared and sponsored by the
Association Lokalna Grupa Działania “Podbabiogórze” and is a mid-level (in terms of administrative
scope) strategic document described in this section.
The Association Lokalna Grupa Działania “Podbabiogórze” was formed in 2006 in frame of a pilotage
program ‘LEADER+’ and is an assessing unit for the Local Development Strategy for Powiat Suski.
Except this, the Association is developing a network of cross-sectoral cooperation in Podbabiogórze
region, aiming at solving local problems and encouraging implementation of innovative solutions for
different problems within the region. It also aims at raising regional attractiveness through social
engagement of all important regional stakeholders. Its main activities enclosed in the statutory
obligations35 are: organization of the conferences and trainings for different social, occupational and
economic groups, informative campaigns, organization of Podbabiogórskie Forum Organizacji
Społecznych, youth forum called Podbabiogórka Rada Młodych Aktywnych, running a website
33 Chariton G, (red) “ Strategia Zrównoważonego Rozwoju Gminy Zawoja 2005-2015” , Katowice: 2004 which is available on Wrota Malopolski website: http://www.wrotamalopolski.pl/root_BIP/BIP_w_Malopolsce/gminy/root_Zawoja/podmiotowe/Oswiadczenia/Wprowadzenie34 Ibid.35 Accessible at http://www.lgdpodbabiogorze.pl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=17
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www.lgdpodbabiogorze.pl and leading the Podbabiogórskie Centrum Inicjatyw Społecznych which serves
as a consulting organization for nongovernmental organizations and social groups from Powiat Suski.36
The general vision for Babiogórze region described in the Strategy is to let it develop in a sustainable way,
protecting its natural resources and unique environmental and cultural features, together with encouraging
citizens to fully participate in developing civil society and, at the same time, taking initiatives in terms of
industrial development.37 According to what has been written in the document, this vision will be
successfully achieved in a set timeframe by 2015. To do so, particular groups of interest need to excel in
more particular aims which are:
1/ Raising life quality together with sustaining natural and cultural heritage of the region.
2/ Raising competitiveness of Podbabiogórze region among other regions.
For each of these aims there are specified additional objectives described in the document38.
To reach the objectives and score satisfactory indicators (which help to illustrate to which extend the
vision can be obtained), particular activities have to be undertaken. To encourage local community,
important groups and stakeholders to participate in such initiatives, the Association LGD “Podbabiogórze”
opens each year grant project competitions thanks to which good and innovative solutions can get
financial support. Such practice, run on a local scale, additionally allow interested actors to learn how to
apply for bigger grants.
6.4.3. Regional Strategy for Innovation in the Malopolska Region 2008-2013
Regional Strategy for Innovation Development of the Malopolska region 2008-201339 is a document which
aims at raising and developing initiatives which will lead to expanding new ideas and ways of mutual
cooperation between different types of institutions such as: companies, private initiatives and Universities
(or researchers) across the region. The Strategy describes strategic goals as well as particular activities that
are needed to be undertaken if the region wants to follow the outlined strategy and hence develop an
industry based on knowledge and civic engagement, and, on wider scope, follow the assumptions of
Lisbon Strategy. According to the information enclosed in the Strategic Document and derived from the
research run by Instytut Badań nad Gospodarką Rynkową, Malpolska takes the 4th place in the ranking of
attractiveness for further investments in the country (data from 2006). the authors of the Strategy for
Innovation Development enhance an urgent need for strengthening the competitiveness of industry in the 36 Chariton, G. op. cit. (p.9) available at http://www.wrotamalopolski.pl/root_BIP/BIP_w_Malopolsce/gminy/root_Zawoja/podmiotowe/Oswiadczenia/Wprowadzenie37 Ibid. p.4038 Ibid. p.4139 Gawlik J., op.cit.
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region by implementing new, innovative ideas based on scientific researches as well as attracting
entrepreneurs who will see an opportunity for further experimentation for innovations. To excel in this
matter, the cooperation between all of the interested actors has to be widely established. According to the
Document, only 7% of companies from the region cooperate with different types of organizations
involved in developing innovations and brand new ideas, like: institutions of higher education
(Universities), research and training institutes or centers for innovation and advanced technologies. At the
same time, it is already noticeable that most of the research companies can already see the need for such
cooperation.
Across different institutions which support the process of implementing initiative solutions, we can
enumerate those which invent certain solutions, those which are run as companies for commercial
implementation of innovative products and finally those which had been established as non-profit
organizations to support innovative solutions.
According to the Document, there are already 96 institutions which support innovative solutions in
different sectors of industry in Małopolska region40 there are strategic areas of potential development for
innovation in Maloplska, which encounter: environmental engineering, architectural and industrial design,
technical infrastructure (together with transportation), landscaping and protection of environment and, last
but not least, renewable energy sources.
It is also clearly stated that an atmosphere of common agreement that the practical approach toward
innovative solutions is needed, is well rooted in this area of Poland. This serves as a great advantage of
the further development in the scope of widely understood cross-sectoral cooperation. However, what has
also been stated, the lack of already existing good practices in this area does not support further
development. What is though seen as necessity for encouraging other interested actors and potential
receivers of experimental solutions, is encouragement and institutional support for that kind of practices.
For a sustainable strategic development there is a need for developing a network of different institutions
interested in innovative solutions- both the creators and the receivers - together with supporting research
institutions. To score this aim there is a practical approach toward creation of the networking centers
which will aim at leading cooperation between already existing institutions and new partners, which have
a will to involve themselves in development of innovation within Maloplska and hence improve its
attractiveness and competitiveness41. Process of encouragement for applying good, innovative practices,
according to the Strategy, will be supported by a network of professionals from and within different
sectors. Thanks to creation of such cross-sectoral platform for exchange of knowledge and practical
solutions, Małopolska’s attractiveness for further investors is supposed to raise on national an
international market. Thanks to implementation of the one of the most innovative decentralized
40 Gawlik J., op.cit. p.1441 Ibid. p.30
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wastewater management systems in Poland, especially on such scale as the whole Gmina Zawoja, the
attractiveness of the place will raise probably on international scale. It will be an outstanding example of a
good practice of innovative solution that will attract many visitors interested in such solutions not yet
known well in the world. What is more, this practice will actually fullfill all of the assumptions that
accompany proper approaches toward sustainable development: caring for environment, cross-sectoral
cooperation and engagement of the society together with giving a good educational example to the outer
environment. The authors of the Strategy cherish a great belief that existing potential of Małopolska,
thanks to such practices, can make the region a leading example for the rest of the country in terms of
successful cooperation between different actors engaged in implementing innovative solutions in Polish
industry and, in further perspective, become a great example for the rest of Europe.
All of the described practices additionally aim at creating good atmosphere based on practices worth
spreading, which steadily will help to improve local perception of new and sometimes unconventional
ideas and solutions among Małopolska’s citizens not necessarily involved in the network itself.
Conclusion
All of the outlined above strategic documents emphasize necessity for infrastructural development and
support such investments like building new wastewater treatment systems . Additionally, some of them
help to perceive such investments in a wider perspective.
What we tried to show in the submitted section was the fact that a present need for better wastewater
management seems to be not only the actual necessity, but also may become a certain chance for further
development of Zawoja. As we tried to picture, describing particular documents, such good practices can
serve the local society and, at the same time, become a good example for other interested partners from
regional or even international level.
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6.5. Impact of water management on the local economy with focus on tourism
6.5.1. Importance of water resources and its management in local economy with special
regard to tourism
Water resources and their proper management are vital factors for most of economic activities. These
include water resources which are available and of good quality and which are managed in a way which
pose a risk neither for health of its users, neither for the environment. Proper water management should
also not decrease the water availability in the long-term.
The crucial branch of economy stimulating the socio-economical growth of Zawoja and whole
Małopolska region is tourism. Its popularity is based on well preserved natural and cultural heritage, thus
it is of vital importance not to undermine those conditions of potential success and focus on developing
tourism in a sustainable way, paying special attention to the condition of environment, as both the
condition of the environment and tourism affect each other.
Zawoja is already fairly known for its activities regarding sustainable development, especially in Przysłop
settlement: where operates the Association of Sustainable Development “Przysłop”, local School for
Environmental Education involved in “Amber Trail” activities initiated by the Environmental Partnership
Foundation, and Carmelite monastery – the owner of the sole wind turbine in the area, which already
became symbolic.
The unsolved wastewater treatment problem in the Gmina – mostly septic tanks are used in the village – is
the key challenge for local authorities regarding both sustainable development and gaining profits from
tourism. If tourism is to be developed in the long term, building the wastewater treatment system is the
key task for Zawoja. Tourism is not developing well on the areas where wastewater could leak out, which
worsen the quality of the water, both surface and underground. Tourists pay much attention to the quality
of water – its bad condition can discourage people from visiting the area and the word of mouth is
spreading fast - creating bad image of Zawoja not only among so-far visitors, but also potential ones.
Overflowing septic tanks not only create foul odors and contaminate water, but also risk peoples` health.
Wastewater leak to the surface water, resulting in unattractive and highly contaminated waters, which can
further result in decline in tourism.
6.5.2. Impact of tourism on environment
The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However, tourism's
relationship with the environment is complex - many activities can have adverse environmental effects.
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Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports,
and of tourism facilities, including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. The negative impacts of tourism
development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends. On the other hand,
tourism has the potential to have beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental
protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a
tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance. Negative impacts from
tourism occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the environment's ability to cope with this use
within the acceptable limits of change. The tourism industry generally overuses water resources for e.g.
hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and personal use of water by tourists. This can result in water
shortages and degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a greater volume of wastewater.
Therefore Zawoja decision makers should carefully examine capacity of planned wastewater treatment
system for seasonal changes in intensity of use.
6.5.3. Impact of centralized wastewater treatment on tourism in Zawoja
Centralized wastewater treatment system has its benefits if considered in regard to the tourism: even
during the peak season in the summer, all the wastewater is directed to the pipeline system with a little risk
of overflow, assuming that the central wastewater treatment plant has enough capacity to treat all the
waste. However, it brings certain risks, if it is not carefully designed and constructed, taking into
consideration all the additional amount of wastewater coming from use of tourism facilities. Those risk
include leakages or breakdowns. Also the cost of system maintenance should be examined – the facility
has to be maintained despite the fact, that off the tourist season it will be underused.
6.5.4. Impact of decentralized wastewater treatment on tourism in Zawoja
Implementation of decentralized wastewater treatment system in Zawoja could contribute to the
development of tourism not only in traditional sense (improved water quality and conditions and thus
environmentally clean area), but also as a factor which can attract tourists itself. Zawoja could build its
image of modern, sustainable community, which implements the most advanced technologies for the
benefit of its inhabitants, tourists and environment, being first and thus unique on this field in Poland, and
it is quite possible that even in the wider, European scale.
Case of Park Wiatrowy Zagórze windfarm serves as good example of such investment, which then became
highly popular tourist attraction. The investment contributing to the broad promotion of the Gmina, which
gained a friendly image to the investors and environment. Media buzz connected with the building of the
biggest wind farm in Poland attracted many tourists to Wolin, thus expanding the local market for the
tourism services42. One of the examples of implementing decentralized wastewater management in rural
area, and of its beneficial impact, is establishing such a system in Liloan village in Philippines. Tourism is
42 http://www.pnec.org.pl/smart/pdf/zagorze.pdf | P a g e 81
the main contributor to the local economy, and when water pollution due to poor sanitation threatened said
industry, Mayor of Liloan decided to set up decentralized wastewater treatment facility using local
technology. The success of the project has drawn representatives from neighboring towns to learn about
the project43.
6.5.5. Possibilities of tourism development in Zawoja – ecotourism, agrotourism
The shape of tourism in Zawoja is determined by the specific conditions of the village and its
surroundings: abundance of rooms-for-rent in private houses, underdeveloped tourism infrastructure like
many big hotels, swimming pools, etc.44, plenty of cosy guesthouses, and first of all, nature as the main
tourists` attraction. Therefore the natural, already existing potential of Zawoja should be developed in a
sustainable way, which should include eco- and agrotourism. Sustainable tourism, more than the
mainstream mass tourism, is growing in popularity worldwide, also in Poland – therefore it can be also a
great opportunity for Zawoja.
6.6. Other areas of local development
The purpose of this chapter is to show possibilities of local development of Zawoja in connection with
both presented wastewater management solutions. We consider implementing new investments as a
possibility for implementing some changes in functioning of Zawoja community - on technical, economic,
educational and social level.
We also see possibilities of inter-regional and international cooperation development.
6.6.1. Education & cooperation with educational institutions
Introduction of Phytosystem would give the Gmina of Zawoja a great chance of developing various
educational initiatives. It would be possible to start for e.g. scientific research programs, student internship
programs or schoolings for local authorities from other Polish and international municipalities or business
representatives, who would be interested in the system. We would like to propose the program of student
internships.
6.6.2. Student interhships in Zawoja - proposals
Student internships provide opportunities for students to gain experience in their field, determine if they
have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, help them to apply gained knowledge.
43 http://www.adb.org/water/champions/sevilla.asp44 According to the citizens of Upper Zawoja interviewed by participants of XII edition of Challenges of Sustainable Development course, July 16-19th 2009
| P a g e 82
Gaining work experience during studying at university is a real asset to students’ CV and can open up
better career opportunities for young specialists, as well as give deaper understanding of different issues
related to professional activity.
Participants from all over the world could be offered an unique opportunity to work on serious and
challenging construction project. In Zawoja we could offer both paid and unpaid work programs during
construction period that presumably must be no less than 5 years.
Such program broadens intern’s horizons with professional as well as personal development.
Becoming a participant of Zawoja internship is also a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a beautiful Polish
countryside while making a contribution to the wastewater treatment project and to the personal
professional growth. Additionally interns could participate in volunteer activities, such as protection and
preservation of the unique and beautiful Zawoja’s environment.
Professional engineering and architectural internships would consist of a variety of activities including a
range of group tasks, supervised tasks, independent tasks, observation and of course qualified supervision
within construction company.
Within Wastewater Treatment Project the most suitable internships are Engineering and Architectural
Internship and Construction Management Internship. Students could come to Zawoja anytime from 4
weeks up to few months. Starting dates would be negotiated as to complement the student's academic
schedule. We could consider a combination of accommodation for interns, from host families to hotels to
sharing in apartments with other nationalities. Local citizens could be involved into the project by hosting
interns during the internship period. They could follow both undergraduate program, which seeks to
expose the student to a broad set of engineering and construction activities as well as graduate internships,
focusing on a specific assignment related to a system or device being developed within the project. A
successful internship will allow the interns to participate in activities such as modeling or simulation,
analysis, conceptual design and also in field activities.
During both undergraduate and graduate programs, interns will have the opportunity to assist with
programming/planning, development of key sheets, schematic design, and construction document
production under the supervision of licensed engineers and architects with various organizational roles.
Field activities are also essential for interns. Additionally, there are opportunities to observe work and
decision-making processes of engineers and other specialists.
For students with architectural/planning/landscape background, participation in Phytosystem construction
will be more attractive than working on centralized system project. Implementation of the centralized
system project demands knowledge in civil engineering and serious technical approach. Integrating
Phytosystem into householders’ site needs more creative approach. Prospective architects will obtain
| P a g e 83
deeper understanding how to solve landscape issues and how to equip their future projects with
environmentally friendly solutions.
Interns will also have opportunities to gain relevant field experience in the following areas:
* Engineering and Design
* Project Management
* Construction Management
* Analysis and assessment of Ecological Situation in Zawoja
The goals of the Engineering and Architectural Design Intern Program are:
* To provide an engineering and construction experience for the student.
* To provide a range of tasks at which the intern can be successful and to allow the intern to provide
real assistance to various facilities functions and be exposed to multiple phases of projects, from
programming/planning through construction.
* To leverage and apply knowledge learned in university.
Construction Management Internship
The goal of the Construction Management Internship Program is to provide field experience for junior or
senior-level construction management students.
During the program, interns will have opportunities to gain relevant field experience in the following
areas:
* Managing minor construction and maintenance projects
* Assisting/observing management of major projects
* Monitoring contractors and subcontractors for construction, renovation, remodeling, maintaining
* Estimating and bidding
* Life-safety inspection and infection-control monitoring
6.6.3. Development of local business
| P a g e 84
Wastewater management system is connected with local business from the point of view of employment
market and development of local business initiatives. We would like to present an overview of possible
influence of the compared systems.
Local economy is nowadays based on tourism, services and agriculture. It fits well with general
functioning of Zawoja, however locally based wastewater treatment system could transform local business
and build cooperation with educational institutions at the same time.
Nowadays, with the system of septic tanks there are some companies involved in pumping out and
disposing wastewater, however maintaining the system is centralised and not efficient, especially from
environmental point of view, as the users do not maintain it in a proper way. Current wastewater
management is being run by one main company: Przedsiębiorstwo Gospodarki Komunalnej i
Budownictwa Zawoja Sp. z o.o. while installation and conservation of septic tanks is a responsibility of
the ownershttp45.
The central sewage system is even more centrally governed solution than septic tanks, as from the time the
project is started, via construction period and production of needed elements to the time it is in use,
conservation is provided by one firm and does not engage parcel owners and leaves no space for local
business initiatives. The company provides stable work for local people. However, maintenance of the
system does not seem to need as many employees as proper maintenance of septic tanks.
The system has also disadvantages of all the systems where there is no competition: lower efficiency,
higher costs, and lower openness for new solutions.
The Phytosystem seems to be more flexible and easy to incorporate into community life and sustainable
local development. The first advantage is that while every plant has an owner and can choose the company
who makes and maintains the device, it shall cause development of small local business and force changes
in the existing communal sewage system company. The second important factor is the possibility of
making changes and improvements on a very basic level, which makes it very adaptive to local people and
conditions. In big, centralised systems both decision making process and implementing changes is long,
complicated process happening far away from the user. The system should also cause growth of personal
responsibility and ecological consciousness. Current situation shows lack of engagement of the owners in
wastewater management, which shows lack of knowledge and interest in the subject. The centralised
system will take this responsibility away from housekeepers and keep status quo. The Phytosystem, if
managed to be introduced and what is important to be properly taken care of will put personal
responsibility for the environmental protection and their own behavior at housekeepers. However we
would like to strongly underline that this step requires a lot of educational effort (that could engage local
45 http://www.zawoja.ug.pl/ ; http://www.zawoja.pl/
| P a g e 85
organisations and integrate the society, but cannot be neglected) and developing control system of
installed plants, that could be provided by existing company after worker's training or by some new
companies. Therefore we do not see the danger of growing unemployment.
Furthermore, projects that need to be undertaken for education in Zawoja could also stimulate
development of educational business, that could be granted by EU funds.
6.6.4. Cooperation with Sister-Regions of Zawoja
Zawoja cooperates with some other regions, both in Poland and abroad. The reason for cooperation is
mutual development in the areas of culture, education, tourism, promotion, sport, youth exchange and any
other area that could be needed. Therefore, promotion of the Phytosystem, as an unique, innovative eco-
technology could start a knowledge transfer into already cooperating regions. Mutual cooperation based
on already existing agreements its easier from legal and organizational point of view.
Sister regions of Zawoja are:
1. Wapielsk Commune
http://www.wapielsk.republika.pl/
2. Öcsöd Commune, Hungary
http://www.ocsod.hu/
3. Cerkeszölö Commune, Hungary
http://www.cserkeszolo.hu/
4. Jaworów, Ukraine
The Phytosystem could be also a good solution for Jaworów region, that is a mountain area with similar
wastewater management problems.
We assume that the general situation in Zawoja is quite typical for Polish countryside Gminas, regardless
where they are situated and the main differences are geographically based. Therefore, the Phytosystem
could be implemented in any of them, having the same advantages and disadvantages from the
sociological point of view. However, the ones for which it would be most advantageous are those that
have not developed any centralised system yet, especially situated in the areas where developing pipe
systems is difficult according to geographical conditions (mountain areas - southern Poland).
6.6.5. Autonomous Buildings
| P a g e 86
It could also be taken into consideration to construct completely autonomous buildings in Zawoja. These
buildings are environmentally friendly solutions and meet all ecological requirements and principles of
sustainability. Presented solution would push Zawoja even further in the direction of creating sustainable
village.
An autonomous building is a building designed to be operated independently from infrastructural support
services such as sewage treatment systems, storm drains, and the electric power grid, municipal water
systems, communication services, and in some cases, also public roads.
Advocates of autonomous building describe advantages that include reduced environmental impacts,
increased security, and lower costs of ownership.
Advantages:
Autonomous buildings can increase security and reduce environmental impacts by using on-site resources
(such as sunlight and rain) that would otherwise be wasted. Autonomous buildings could strongly reduce
the costs and impacts of networks that serve the building, because short-circuit the multiplying
inefficiencies of collecting and transporting resources and wastes in Zawoja. I Impacted resources, such as
retention of the local watershed, the oil and gas reserves can often be cheaply conserved by thoughtful
designs.
Autonomous buildings are usually energy-efficient in operation, and therefore cost-efficient, for the
obvious reason that smaller energy needs are easier to satisfy off-grid. But they may substitute energy
production or other techniques to avoid diminishing returns in extreme conservation.
An autonomous structure is not always environmentally friendly. The goal of independence from support
systems is associated with, but not identical to, other goals of environmentally responsible green building.
However, autonomous buildings also usually include some degree of sustainability through the use of
renewable energy and other renewable resources, producing no more greenhouse gases than they
consume.
Autonomous buildings promise to reduce the impact of centralised industrial solutions. Finally, they are
designed to be adaptable to local conditions.
Disadvantages:
First and fundamentally, independence is a matter of degree. Complete independence is very hard or
impossible to attain. For example, eliminating dependence on the electrical grid is one thing but growing
all of your own food is a more demanding and time-consuming proposition.
Even the most comfortable and technologically advanced autonomous houses may require some
differences in behavior. Some people adjust easily. Others describe the experience as inconvenient, | P a g e 87
irritating, isolating, or even as an unwanted full-time job. A well-designed building can reduce this issue,
but usually at the expense of reduced autonomy.
An autonomous house must be custom-built (or extensively retrofitted) to suit the climate and location.
Passive solar techniques, thermal massing designs, basement battery systems, efficient windowing, and
the array of other design tactics require some degree of non-standard construction, sometimes added
expense, ongoing experimentation and maintenance, and also have an effect on the psychology of the
space46.
6.7. Summary
The chapter argues that implementation of decentralized wastewater treatment system in Zawoja will
have a beneficial impact on local economy, with special regard to tourism as its base. It will moreover be
compliant with local strategies of sustainable development. It is argued that it will create the potential of
development yet existing tourism movement, with focus on ecotourism and its more specific forms, as it
will also create the space for transfer of the know-how about building household wastewater treatment
plants, such as hosting study tours of specialists from water management and engineering areas. All this
activities will create exceptional opportunity to create Zawoja`s image as a most sustainable village in
Poland, thus attracting visitors from all over the world.
46 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_building#Sewage
http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Autonomous:building.htm | P a g e 88
7. Summary of the report
The report “Sustainable Wastewater Management in Zawoja” addresses the current wastewater situation in
the Gmina area from several perspectives. Existing wastewater treatment procedures are not effective and
need to be modernized and developed in order to assure the proper protection of the environment and
fulfillment of the social needs. There are two possible solutions of wastewater treatment that can be
implemented in Gmina Zawoja: centralized and decentralized.
Many areas are experiencing water shortages and increasing number of episodes of contaminated water.
The hydrological conditions in the Gmina Zawoja seem to be satisfactory because the water supply
sources are in the vicinity to Babia Góra ecosystem, nevertheless the availability of water in domestic
wells is decreasing and this might be considered as human development impact on hydrological conditions
in the area. The centralized and decentralized solutions have been analyzed and in conclusion it can be
said that the second group of technologies seems to be more friendly to the natural environment than first
one (especially from the hydrological cycle point of view). For the need of comparison a specific type of
decentralized technology was taken into account – the Phytosystem solution. Comparing to centralized
system the Phytosystem appears to be more efficient solution according to water occurrence in the region.
The impact on the environment should also be estimated before the final decision about the method of
wastewater treatment is taken. After analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of both alternatives from the
environmental point o view it is recommended to apply the decentralized system since it is more
environmentally friendly as well as protects the biodiversity more than the centralized one
The economical analysis of both centralized and decentralized systems of wastewater treatment shows that
Phytosystem method appears much cheaper than centralized system. The report provides also
recommendations on how to estimate costs economic costs and benefits related to ecosystem goods and
services affected by both systems using the environmental valuation methods. What is more, it is stated
that decentralized system is more probable to get funded from EU Structural Funds.
The report discusses also the involvement of local citizens into the decision making process, as public
participation is a vital factor of implementation communal project and creation of active society in
Zawoja. The involvement could be realized not only trough taking part in the local elections, but also
through participation in meetings of the Council, which could serve as an effective tool of integration of
local inhabitants. The report includes an Action Plan focusing on social involvement and inter-stakeholder
communication. Action Plan presents specific steps and activities to undertake in order to achieve
| P a g e 89
effective public involvement in decision-making process. Local economical conditions and the ways they
could be affected by wastewater management are also discussed. Implementation of decentralized
wastewater treatment system in Zawoja will have a beneficial impact on the local economy, with special
regard to tourism as its base. It will moreover be compliant with local strategies of sustainable
development. It is argued that it will create the potential of development yet existing tourism movement,
with focus on ecotourism and its more specific forms, as it will also create the space for transfer of the
know-how about building household wastewater treatment plants, such as hosting study tours of
specialists from water management and engineering areas. All these activities will create exceptional
opportunity to create Zawoja`s image as one of the a most sustainable village in Poland.
Annex nr 1. See the next page
| P a g e 90
STAGE OF LIFE AND
ITS DETAILS
CENTRALIZED SYSTEM DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM
ASPECTS BENEFITS COSTS ASPECTS BENEFITS COSTSC
ON
STR
UC
TIO
N
Effect on
forestry
Risk of necessity
to cut trees
Wood (direct
use value,
Market-based,
Factor of
production)
Costs for cutting
trees (direct costs,
indirect use value,
Market-based,
Producer/Consume
r Surplus)
Costs for destroyed
nature/landscape
(indirect values,
Surrogate Market,
hedonic pricing)
Costs for planting
new trees (direct
use value, Market-
based Defensive
expenditure)
No necessity to
cut trees
Preserving natural
environment,
landscape, clean air,
attraction of tourists
(indirect values,
Surrogate Market,
hedonic pricing)
Traffic
movements and
vibrations
Higher
vibration and
traffic due to
the
transportation
of soil and
debris
o Costs for
transportation of
soil and debris
(direct costs)
o Costs for loosing
tourists due to the
noise and CO2
emission (indirect
values, Surrogate
Market, hedonic
pricing)
o Costs for influence
on health (indirect
use value, Market-
based Defensive
expenditure)
Negligible (only
local impacts)
Preserving the clean
air, quite and
attracting environment
for tourists and local
people (indirect
values, Surrogate
Market, hedonic
pricing)
| P a g e 92
Deconstruction
and
reconstruction
of roads and
buildings
Deconstruct
ion of roads,
sidewalks,
fences, gardens,
etc.
Costs for
deconstruction of
roads, sidewalks,
fences, gardens, etc.
(direct costs)
Costs for building
new roads,
sidewalks, fences
(direct costs)
Costs for planting
new plants in
gardens(indirect use
value, Market-
based Defensive
expenditure)
Costs for loosing
tourists (indirect
value, Surrogate
Markets, Travel
costs)
Negligible Preserving the
environment (indirect
values, Surrogate
Market, Travel costs)
| P a g e 93
Effect on
animals and
biodiversity
Stress from the
noise,
Change of the
original
biodiversity
Costs for
rehabilitation of
animals and
biodiversity
(indirect use value,
Market-based
Defensive
expenditure)
Change of the
original
biodiversity and
creation of the
new ones
Encouragement to
plant new plants
making the
surrounding more
attractive (indirect
values, Surrogate
Market, hedonic
pricing)
Types of works
and their
impact on
environment
60km/2m/1,5m
dig needs to be
done
Costs for digging
wok for all system
(direct costs)
numerous local
smaller digs
Costs for numeral
local smaller digs
(direct costs)
OPE
RA
TIO
N
Water
circulation in
the system
Water depletion
from the area
serviced by the
system
Water is
irretrievably
lost
Costs for building
new pipes to
transfer the water
from other places
(direct use value,
Market-based
Defensive
expenditure)
Water stays within
the area of
household
Reuse of treated
wastewater
Preserving the
balance between
the usage and reuse
of water
| P a g e 94
Sewage
transportation
Piping system;
leaking possible
Costs for pipes
replacement in case
of leaking (direct
costs)
Special cars;
odour issues, CO2
emission
Costs for sewage
transportation once
per year (direct
costs)
Impact on
water quality
The receiver of
treated
wastewater may
be severely
affected in the
point of
discharge (as it
is usually one
discharging
points) e.g.
river shock
Cost of cleaning
the water (direct
use value, Market-
based Defensive
expenditure)
Costs of polluted
water not usable
for
swimming/other
usage (indirect use
value, Surrogate
Market, hedonic
pricing)
Many scattered
discharge points
localized on a
large area may
have only small
impact on the
nearby water
bodies (treated
wastewater is
dumped into the
ground where it
additionally
undergoes further
filtration)
| P a g e 95
Effect on
biodiversity
Biodiversity in
rivers and lakes
may be
affected by
discharge from
wastewater
treatment
Costs for
rehabilitation of
biodiversity in
rivers and lakes in
case of effect of
discharge (direct
use value, Market-
based Defensive
expenditure)
Costs of loosing
tourists in case of
destroyed
biodiversity under
the effect by
discharge (indirect
use value,
Surrogate Market,
travel costs)
Lower impact on
biodiversity
because of drain
water to a central
wastewater
treatment plant
| P a g e 96
Malfunctions Bigger area
affected in case
of any accident
Costs for
maintenance in
case of accident for
all system and
surrounded area
(direct use value,
Market-based
Defensive
expenditure)
Local impact in
case of any failure
Costs for the
maintains
individually (indirect
use value, Market-
based Defensive
expenditure)
Odour smelly scent
from WWTP
hence, it should
not be localized
in the vicinity
of residential
areas
Costs of loosing
tourists also cost of
reduced values of
houses in area of
WWTP because of
smelly scent
(indirect values,
Surrogate Market,
hedonic pricing)
Rather odourless
operation
| P a g e 97
Visual impact visible
construction of
building and
facilities of
w.t.p.
Costs of hiding the
constructions
(indirect values,
Surrogate Market,
hedonic pricing)
Treatment unit is
localized below
the ground level –
no negative visual
impact
Visible wastewater
treatment plants
creates attractive
surrounding
(indirect values,
Surrogate Market,
hedonic pricing)
Costs for planting
plants (indirect
values, Surrogate
Market, hedonic
pricing)
Attraction of
vermin
Considerable in
the area of
w.t.p.
Costs of
neutralizing the
vermin (direct
costs)
Negligible
| P a g e 98
Dangers of
polluting
drinkable water
sources
negligible Preventing the
drinkable water
sources form
possible polluting
(direct use value,
Market-based
Defensive
expenditure)
May affect
local wells if
leaking
Costs of
cleaning local wells
in case of system’s
failure(direct use
value, Market-
based Defensive
expenditure)
Costs of
transferring
drinkable water
from other places in
case of system’s
failure (direct use
value, Market-
based Defensive
expenditure)
DE
CO
NST
RU
CTI
ON
Soil removed
and sources of
soil for filling in
soil
removal or dig
in to the pipes
level, but then
the same soil is
used to fill the
ground
Costs removing
and bringing back
the soil (direct
costs)
Necessity to
obtain soil from
outer source
Costs of
transporting the soil
from outer sources
(direct costs)
| P a g e 99
Deconstructions
and
reconstruction
of road and
buildings
unavoidable
(if
deconstruction
of piping is
necessary)
Costs for
deconstruction of
roads, sidewalks,
fences, gardens, etc.
Costs for building
new roads,
sidewalks, fences
Costs for planting
new plants in
gardens
Costs for loosing
tourists
Negligible Preserving the
environment (indirect
values, Surrogate
Market, hedonic
pricing)
Utilization of
leftovers
Leftovers
include: pipes,
debris and
others; debris
may be used for
road
construction
Costs of
transporting out of
leftovers (direct
costs)
Almost none
leftovers to be
used
| P a g e 100
Traffic
movements and
vibrations
considerabl
e
Costs for
transportation of
soil and debris
(direct costs)
Costs for loosing
tourists due to the
noise and CO2
emission hedonic
Costs for influence
on health (indirect,
de
negligible Preserving the
clean air, quite and
attracting environment
for tourists and local
people (indirect
values, Surrogate
Market, hedonic
pricing)
| P a g e 101
