Water supply and sanitation in Azerbaijan

National Policy Dialogues on Integrated Water Resources Management in Azerbaijan for managing water resources are aimed at developing a state strategy based on “Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes” of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and European Union Water Framework Directive and the “Water and Health” Protocol of that convention as well as other principles of the United Nations and the EU.

Documents, directives and other acts of the EU, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Global Water Partnership, as well as other international organizations were used in the preparation of strategy. It was taken into account most international water legislation requirements.

History
In the XVIII century the city was supplied with water from country wells. Water flowed through three channels. One of the channels went to the Shirvanshahs’ Palace. The other two channels were sent to “Gosha Gala Gapysy.”

Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev (philanthropist of Azerbaijan) contributed money to search for the spring of water supply in Baku. While drilling wells in the vicinity of the village of Shollar, three horizons of drinking water were randomly found. By the summer construction of two tunnels: Baladzharskogo and Atachay. The water was pumped with pumps and pumped into tanks, the water reached the city network, running 150 km.

In 1930, the main pipelines and sewerage facilities were built and commissioned in Baku. A separate water disposal system with two independent networks was created. The first network is for the disposal of communal domestic and littered industrial sewage with automatic purification at the station located in the village of Zyh. For disposal and landfill without treatment of wastewater arising from atmospheric precipitation, sewage water – refers to the second network.

The system of water disposal in the main and south-western parts of the city is relatively simple. Wastewater and rain networks, moving drains to the lower part of the city, merged with the main pipeline.

In 1970, a plan was created for the rainwater sewerage system of Baku by Giprokommundortrans University (Moscow), which was not completed. From 1997 to 1998, with the joint work of Montgomery Watson and Azpetsprominvest, a plan was created to update the Greater Baku Water Supply and Sanitation Systems covering the rainwater drainage scheme. The project could not be completed.

After independence Azerbaijan continued work on the development of the water supply and sewerage system. The construction of ten reservoirs is expected.

Today, events are underway to update the boulevard (considerable lengthening is expected), and cleaning the Baku port from pollution.

New water supply and sewerage systems
The following water supply and sewerage systems were opened:

Ceremony of opening water supply systems for drinking water and sanitation.
• To provide clean water to the population, 11,035 houses were connected to the water supply and sanitation network. Construction began in 2012. A sewage pipeline with a diameter of 1000 mm and a size of 6,905 m was laid for the transportation of contaminated water, a pressure pipeline – in length of 1734 m and a network of contaminated water with a length of 186,383 m. 4371 inspection wells were built on the water pile network, the houses are connected to this network.

The opening ceremony of water supply Oguz – Gabala – Baku.
It was announced that 40% of city residents were provided with water constantly, and 60% – on schedule. Approximately 75% of the residents of the city will be provided with constant water after commissioning the Oguz-Gabala-Baku water pipeline, and the remaining 25% – on schedule. The time for supplying water according to the schedule will double.

Ceremony, formed with the completion of the project ” Updates of the water supply and sanitation system in the city of Gobustan “.
The city has a drinking water network of 68 km, all subscribers have counters. For the first time in Gobustan, a network of sewer lines was built, the construction of which ended in the size of 42 km and 1160 wells. In the city, a 7 km sewage pipeline was set up to move contaminated water to treatment plants.

Drinking water supply
It is used drinking water supply from all water sources in Azerbaijan. The main sources of water supply in the regions are surface and groundwater sources in nearby areas.Mingachevir reservoir of the Kura river is used as a source of drinking water by the population.

Reservoirs
Mingachevir reservoir
This Mingachevir water reservoir was created on the Kura river. The construction of the Mingachevir reservoir and the Hydroelectric Power Station was completed in 1953. The total capacity of the reservoir at the normal level (83 m) is 15730 mln m3, useful volume of it is 8210 mln m3. The area of the reservoir is 605 km2, the volume is 16.1 km3, the length is 70 km, the maximum width is 18 km, the average depth is 26 m, the deepest is 75 m.

Jeyranbatan reservoir
Jeyranbatan water reservoir was established in 1955 due to increasing demand for drinking and technical water in Baku and Sumgayit. The capacity of the reservoir is 186 million m3, the useful volume is 150 mln m3. The length of the reservoir is 8.74 km, the maximum width is 2.15 km, the length of the coastline is 23.3 km, the maximum depth is 28.5 meters.

Arak reservoir
The Arak reservoir is located in the West of Azerbaijan in Iran and in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. It was established in 1971 on the Araks River at the construction of the Araks Hydroelectric Power Station near the city of Nakhchivan.

The area of the reservoir is 145 km², the volume is 1,254 km³. The average annual water exchange coefficient is 3.7.

Sanitation
In the sewerage sector, Baku wastewater network serves 72% population of the city, but only 50% of the water is treated. 90% of the treated water is biologically processed and only 10% is mechanically processed. Wastewater treatment plants are available in 16 cities and regions; most of them are partially or completely useless. In most cases, the quality of water supplied to the population does not meet the required standards. The state works with donor communities to take the necessary measures to address these problems. The Azerbaijani government has adopted a program on the construction of water supply and sewage systems in more than 60 small towns (regional centers) in the country. The state has already started to implement more than 20 such projects. At the same time, local water supply projects are being implemented.

“Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project”
The Loan agreement between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency on the “Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project ” was signed on 29 May 2009 and entered into force on 30 June 2009. The project covers rehabilitation of water supply and sanitation systems in Gusar, Khachmaz, Khizi, Gobustan and Naftalan.

Gusar City
“The project on rehabilitation of water supply and sanitation system of Gusar town” has been calculated to improve drinking water and sanitation services of 19,600 people in Gusar city, taking into account perspective development until 2030. Within the project, drinking water supply will be improved in 12,000 people living in Balakusar, Hasanqala, Old Khudat, Chilagir, Yukhari Layar, Gayakend, Khuray villages of Gusar region and Chartepe, Orta Khuch, Ashagi Khuch villages of Guba region.

Construction and installation works on the project started on April 19, 2012. At the first stage of the project, a drainage water facility with a capacity of 102 liters per day or 8800 cubic meters per day was constructed in Gusarchay river to provide Gusar and its surrounding villages with drinking water. At the same time, three water reservoirs with a total capacity of 1,000 cubic meters, a 2.8 km long inter-reservoir water line and a new water chlorinating building were constructed.

Khachmaz City
Implementation of the project on rehabilitation of drinking water supply and sanitation systems of Khachmaz city started on 19 April 2012. The project has been calculated to improve drinking water and sanitation services of 47,000 people in Khachmaz, the water supply of 11,000 people in Qobuqyagi, Armudpadar, Garaychi, Garagurdlu and Old Khachmaz villages of the region.

In the first stage of the project, the Uchkun spring, (which is the main water source of the city) was rehabilitated, 2 km long trunk water line (400 mm) was constructed, 2 reservoirs with a total capacity of 10,000 cubic meters were built and 1,6 km water line between this reservoirs was constructed.

Khizi City
Construction and installation works on the project started in 2012 and at the first stage of project, water intake facilities were built in Gars (430 cubic meters / day) and Yeddibulag (40 cubic meters / day) resources, and a 8.4 km long trunk water line was constructed in Khizi.

Naftalan city
Implementation of the project for reconstruction of drinking water supply and sewerage system of Naftalan city started in early 2013.

Gobustan City
A groundbreaking ceremony for reconstruction of Gobustan drinking water supply and sanitation system was held on May 10, 2015.

“Second National Water Supply and Sanitation Services” project
Financing agreement on the project “Second National Water Supply and Sanitation Services” have been signed between Azerbaijan and World Bank on September 5, 2008.

Within the project, reconstruction of water supply and sanitation systems and facilities in 21 regions of the country (Devechi, Dashkasan, Gadabay, Imishli, Kurdamir, Siyazan, Agsu, Ismayilli, Ujar, Zardab, Lankaran, Masalli, Astara, Jalilabad, Yardimli, Lerik and also in 5 districts of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic – Julfa, Ordubad, Sadarak, Kangarli, Shahbuz) was planned.

The total cost of the project is $410.0 million. $260.0 million of this amount was financed by loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association, and USD 150.0 million was funded by the Government of Azerbaijan.

Presidential Decrees
Former President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev developed a program in which gas, water supply, sanitation and other utilities services were updated. Today his son Ilham Aliyev continues his father’s work.

The decrees signed by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev are indicated below:

Continuation of the project of renewal of water supply and sanitation systems in the villages of Pirallahi-Pirallahin district, Zira and Turkan-Khazar district of Baku.
Continuation of the project of renovation of the water supply and sanitation systems in the city of Salyan.
With the aim of improving the water supply and sanitation systems, providing the population of the city of Salyan with drinking water, construction of a reservoir began, the volume of which was 7,500 cubic meters, the diameter of 720 mm, and the size of 7.6 km.

Continuation of the project on the renovation of water supply and sanitation systems in the city of Bilasuvar.
With the aim of improving the water supply and sanitation systems, providing the population of the city of Salyan with drinking water, the construction of a sewage network with a diameter of 200-500 mm, a size of 4.36 km, began.

Continuation of the project of renovation of water supply and sewage systems and storm water in Baku White City.
Continuation of the project of renewal of water supply and sanitation systems in Binagadi settlement of Binagadi district and Mehtiabad and Novkhany settlements of Absheron district.
In the settlement of Binagadi, the diameter of the reservoir was 110-280 mm, the value of 9.0 km, the sewage network with diameters of 200-400 mm, the size of 0.6 km, in the Mehdiabad settlement of the Absheron district of the sewer network diameter -300-1000 mm, the value of 3.9 km, in the village of Novkhani water network, the diameter is 110-280 mm, the value is 2.5 km.

Continuation of the project of renovation of water supply and sanitation systems in Lankoran.
With the purpose of improving the water supply and sanitation systems, providing the population of the city of Salyan with drinking water, the construction of a reservoir began, the diameter was 110 mm, the size was 11 km.

Continuation of the project of renovation of water supply and sanitation systems in the city of Mingachevir.
Continuation of the project of renewal of water supply and sanitation in the towns of Bina, Mardakan, Shagan and Shuvelan of the Khazar district.

Source from Wikipedia