National Sludge Management Strategy for Serbia

The global objective of this project is to improve environmental protection through investments into waste water treatment improving environmental standards in Serbia. The specific objective of this project is to provide assistance to state authorities in the preparation of a National Sludge Management Strategy and related Implementation Plan to enable Serbia to carry out the institutional, legal, technical, financial and administrative improvements to meet EU and national standards in urban wastewater sludge management. Activities: During the Inception phase, activities included: Meeting with the project stakeholders and organization of initial meeting between Contractor, Stakeholders and CFCU. Familiarizing with any additional information provided by the Beneficiary Institution. Preparing and scrutinizing the ToRs, jointly with the project counterparts from the Beneficiary Institution, of any amendments thereof including project plan of activities and resources allocation. Proposing and agreeing with the Beneficiary Institution table of content for the National Sludge Management Strategy. Preparing and submitting the Inception Report with Work Plan and timeline. During the Implementation phase, activities included the following tasks: Task 1 - Developing the National Sludge Management Strategy and the Implementation plan. The Strategy was developed by implementing the following activities: Summarization of the legal and Institutional framework for sludge management; Assessment of sludge generation, quality and management at exiting WWTP's and the evaluation of sludge production estimates and management strategies prepared for the WWTP's currently in planning and under construction; Assessing the methods of sludge treatment, use and disposal employed in other Member-States for their suitability in Serbia; Estimating sludge quantities that will be generated by the progressive implementation of the UWWT Directive to 2041; Assessing sludge treatment options and the potential for establishing regional sludge treatment centres; Identifying and assessing feasible sludge use and disposal options for each region in Serbia; Estimating investment and operating costs, and implications on the water tariff; Proposing business arrangements for operating SMRs; Summarizing findings of above-mentioned activities into the National Sludge Management Strategy; Developing an Implementation Plan; Organizing workshops to present the National Sludge Management Strategy. Task 2 - Strengthening sludge management capacity. Preparing a guidance document on good operational practices for sludge management; Preparing and delivering trainings on sludge management. The outputs: National Sludge Management Strategy and the Implementation Plan developed, endorsed by the Beneficiary and presented during workshops that were organised by this contract. Guidance document on good operational practices for sludge management developed, endorsed by Beneficiary and presented during trainings that were organised by this contract.