I. Metshin: “We came not to discuss but to eliminate the problem you live with”

(KZN.RU, February 14, Mikhail Chentsov). Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, met with residents of houses №161, 163 on Boevaya Street yesterday. The reason for the emergency meeting was the malfunction of the sewage pumping station (SPS) installed in the yard of buildings. An unpleasant, specific smell spreads across the territory because of this. Aida Khamidova, a local resident, an employee of the OAO “Elektropribor”, informed the Mayor about the problem during his meeting with the plant's staff, after which the Mayor decided to go to the place himself.

Residents first started to get problems two years ago, when the OOO “Briz” built a new SPS and put it into operation. In 2015, the station appeared near the house №161 near the old SPS by the MUP “Vodokanal”. The SPS drains all residential and uninhabited buildings near the water intake “Volzhsky” with drainage to the Yudino sewage collector. However, a by-effect of the new SPS was a constant fetid smell. “We have been covering the thresholds of all instances since 2016, but, unfortunately, no measures have been taken until today”, complained Aida Khamidova.

In addition to the unpleasant smell, there was a partial discharge of drains along the terrain into the Volga Bay on January 14 due to damage to the pumps. To eliminate the consequences of the accident the MUP “Vodokanal” switched consumers to its old SPS at the same day, and the new one was stopped for repairs. The MUP “Vodokanal” assisted the owner of the SPS in the repair of pumping units, shut-off and control valves, automation settings, replacement of ventilation equipment, and cleaning of the receiving tank.

Ilsur Metshin appealed for clarification of the situation to Iskander Giniyatullin, the deputy head of the Executive Committee and the chairman of the Committee of Housing and Communal Services, who was also present at the meeting.

According to the chairman of the Committee of Housing and Communal Services, people suffer from the smell because the exhausts don’t have time to dissipate without harm to others because of non-compliance with the parameters of the exhaust ventilation. “The ventilation pipe is quite low. The old SPS of the “Vodokanal” is nearby, which is more than 45 years old, and there are no smells from it. This exhaust is located a meter or two or two higher there”, he explained. I. Giniyatullin also noted that it would not take much time to solve this problem.

The entry of sewage into the Volga was due to a failed pump. It was repaired but severe actions were required to prevent this from happening again. “The decision is now made. This object (ed. – SPS OOO “Briz”) was transferred to the “Vodokanal”, and they will serve it with an understanding of how this should be done”, he said. As of February 13, the station is in a technically sound condition, now the operation is carried out by the “Vodokanal”.

Nevertheless, this response didn’t reassure the local residents, who had a hard time in a few years. “Now everything is looking pretty good, apparently, they were preparing for your arrival. There are no smells”, said one of the residents. “If you came suddenly, you would smell it all. We have this smell in the apartments, we cannot open the windows”.

Ilsur Metshin noted that the city authorities would keep the situation under control. “As it turned out, the pump broke down in this station and so the runoff flowed into the street. The organization, which was supposed to serve the station, has already been punished. The municipality itself doesn’t have the authority to punish. We sent the appeal and the got the reaction. But we came not to discuss but to eliminate the problem you live with”, said the Mayor.

The Mayor also instructed the Housing Committee and the MUP “Vodokanal” to find an exhaustive technical solution that would ensure the full operation of the sewage pumping station. He also instructed to prepare a document that will regulate the timing of the work. “On February 23, you will have a document, which will specify the time and stages when and what will be done. All the technical solutions”, said Ilsur Metshin addressing the residents. The head of the city also asked the residents to prepare their proposals for the improvement of the yard.

Andrey Egorov, the director of the MUP “Vodokanal”, Sergey Mironov, the head of the Kirovsky and Moskovsky districts’ administration, and others also took part in the meeting.