RIEW - Sofia issued instructions to the Municipality of Pernik in connection with the pollution of the Struma River

During the inspection carried out on September 27 by teams of the Regional Inspectorate for the Environment and Water (RIEW) - Sofia, the Basin Directorate "West White Sea Region" and the Executive Agency for the Environment, in connection with a reported pollution of the Struma near the town of Pernik, were visited multiple sections along the river, including all collectors and waste water shafts of the enterprises, where there are no established deposits or traces of water leakage with the color indicated in the signal. Deposits with an orange-brown color were found along the bed of a ravine near the bridge of the "Distribution" station, where pipes were also found, about which the Waterworks and the Municipality do not provide information at the moment.

A source of unregulated discharge of large quantities colored in the specified orange-brown color of waters formed during excavations from the construction of stages of the city's "water cycle" has been identified. During an inspection of the terrain along the river above the external highway of Pernik, an excavation with a newly constructed concrete shaft was found. A metal pipe runs above the shaft, which was broken as a result of the construction activities, and the compromised section was restored with a corrugated pipe. For the same, at the moment, the Waterworks and the Municipality of Pernik do not provide the necessary information about the purpose, ownership or available discharge permit.

Pursuant to the Water Act and the Spatial Planning Act, the municipality has responsibilities for the construction and proper operation of sewerage networks and facilities and control of their construction and use. In view of the fact that representatives of the Municipality of Pernik were not present at all stages of the inspection, as well as when drawing up the finding report, that the necessary information about the found pipes was not provided, the municipality was given eight instructions with a deadline for implementation until October 4 of this year.

The instructions are to stop the discharge of water from a metal pipe passing under the bridge of the "Distribution" station, to conduct a survey of the route at the newly constructed shaft of the "water cycle", to establish the ownership and to clean up the established sediments, for which to notify RIEW in writing - Sofia.

The checks of the eco-inspection will continue, and the violations found have been reported to the National Police General Directorate in order to establish all the circumstances of the found pollution.