engleski

Reasons why Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems are not Systematically Used in the Republic of Croatia

Onsite wastewater systems (OWTS) are practically not used at all in Croatia. All old sewerage systems, new ones and planned ones are classical. The fact is that some countries use OWTS very intensively, improve them in terms of safety and technical efficiency and prove their advantages in use in many situations. The question is why such systems do not pass in Croatia although 40% of Croatian population lives in villages and settlements up to 2, 000 inhabitants. When treated wastewater is discharged underground, limitations in use of OWTS are primarily related to soils permeability, groundwater table and terrain slope. Likewise family home lots are often too small for the implementation of some basic OWTS technologies. On the other hand the utility companies in Croatia are not organizationally and technically competent to manage such systems, and resist implementation. Among citizens and some professional circles OWTS are inferior in every way and cannot meet sanitary and environmental standards. The national agency for water management has not made the necessary steps in the professional and legal regulations, so the basic requirements for the wider application are not satisfied. The paper studies the objective and subjective reasons why OWTS systems are not used. It analyzes briefly the situation in the world and then in Croatia. The reasons for lack of OWTS implementation are searched at local and national level through traditional and new urban solutions, soil type and hydro-geological realities, the attitude of the profession and policy, traditional heritage, cultural habits. The paper also draws attention to the fact that uncontrolled implementation of OWTS by the enthusiastic citizens can result in dangerous sanitary and environmental impacts.

onsite wastewater treatment systems; implementation; Croatia

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