Supporting social and political stability along with economic progress and social development in Azerbaijan contributes to strengthening of the statehood and fostering the improvement of living conditions of population. The purposeful social and economic policy of President Ilham Aliyev, who is a worthy successor of the policy initiated by Nationwide Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, has had a good impact on the water supply and sewerage sector. “I can tell that drinking water and sewerage projects are nowadays a very challenging issue for Baku and for the whole country. Projects on drinking water and sewerage are now implemented across the country. They have been already completed in some regional centers and cities. It is also a historical achievement”, says our President. Due to his special attention and care this sector has entered a new period of development. In this view, Azersu OJSC faces colossal tasks to ensure non-stop supply of consumers with drinking water, wastewater treatment without environmental damage, broad introduction of meters, setting of the financial discipline in the payment system and introduction of new technologies. To solve these issues by means of attracting of investments from the state budget of the country and credits of the international financial organizations, performed were operations within the framework of projects covering residential areas of Baku and other dwelling settlements of the Absheron peninsula as well as regions including 52 cities and 730 settlements. According to the program on social-economic development of the city of Baku and its suburbs, 820km and 200km long sewerage lines were built; 7 water reservoirs with total capacity of 100,000 cubic meters were constructed; internal water distribution systems were renovated in 900 buildings including 53,000 apartments; 120,000 smart-card meters were installed. All of these operations were performed during 2011-2013. As a result, the quantity of the population provided with uninterrupted drinking water supply grew from 900,000 up to 1 mln 760 thousand. 220,000 subscribers were for the first time supplied with drinking water in centralized manner. Thus, the company managed to ensure uninterrupted water supply to 78% of the population residing in Baku and its surrounding settlements. Meanwhile, a central laboratory meeting all modern requirements and technological standards has been commissioned for monitoring the water quality.
As a result of work carried out within the framework of the state program on social-economic development of the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, construction operations were commenced in 38 out of 52 cities. Operations on creation of the water supply and sewerage systems in 8 cities have already been accomplished. 12 cities were supplied with water from new sources. As a result, water supply to 330,000 people residing in district centers has been considerably improved. Of this total, 125,000 people were for the first time supplied with water in centralized order. The first stage of construction of the water main Hajigabul-Bilasuvar with the length of 107km, a part of the Shirvan-Mugan group water supply system, has been completed. It is extremely important for the country’s regions broadly suffering from shortage of drinking water. Drinking water supply was commenced from the new source in the direction of Hajigabul, Shirvan and Bilasuvar. Besides, completion of construction of the water transfer units from Kullulu source located on the Gyrdimanchay River and water main in the direction of Kurdamir, Ujar, Zardab and Aghsu cities also enabled to ensure supply of these cities with qualitative water.
Altogether, within the framework of the state programs for development of regions, Azersu OJSC built 3,430km long water lines, 1,225km long sewage collectors and networks, 96 water reservoirs, 39 water and sewerage pump stations. Water supply conditions of 540,000 people residing in regions were being improved over the past 5 years. The rate of uninterrupted water supply to the population grew from 26% up to 55%.
The growth of the population, development of industry, tourism potential and ecological balance are major factors that Azersu OJSC takes into consideration when implementing projects. These criteria are also particularly considered in the master-plan worked out for managing water supply, sewerage and storm water systems of Absheron peninsula till 2035. The master-plan consisting of 18 sections, envisages construction (mainly in Baku and surrounding settlements) of 550km long water mains, 8,100km long water networks, 65 water reservoirs with total capacity of 650,000 cubic meters, 2 central pumping stations with an overall output of 1 mln 300 thousand cubic meters per day. Meanwhile, the sewerage system of Absheron peninsula was split into 11 sections. There are plans to build 11 waste water treatment facilities with total capacity of 1 mln 400 thousand cubic meters per day, sewerage tunnels with the length of 140km, 680km long sewer pipes and a 6400km long sewerage network. According to the master-plan, water and sewerage projects are currently underway almost in 40 settlements.
Azersu OJSC undertakes complex measures for fulfilling the orders of President Ilham Aliyev who notes that “clean drinking water is the biggest contribution to the human health” and the “water which is supplied currently and will be supplied to the population of Azerbaijan must meet standards of the World Health Organization”. Within the framework of these measures, a new central laboratory was built and commissioned for more qualitative testing of drinking water. The laboratory equipped with advanced technology and appliances conducts drinking water testing on 84 parameters. Wastewaters are tested on 54 parameters.
Construction of the water purification facility, meeting the modern standards, on the shore of the Lake Jeyranbatan is an important factor in supplying drinking water to the population. Jeyranbatan water purification facility, (6 cubic meters per second) equipped with an ultrafilter, will play an exceptional role in drinking water supply to Absheron peninsula. Its construction is going to be completed by the end of this year. The commissioning of this facility will improve water supply of 1 mln citizens in the city of Baku, villages and settlements of the eastern part of Absheron peninsula.
The work on deploying SCADA system in Baku and regions was commenced in order to facilitate the use of the infrastructure created by Azersu OJSC. This system is already applied in Guba city where the system of water supply and sewerage was fully renovated last year. Meanwhile, the company keeps working on development of the electronic map of the underground infrastructure. According to the Azersu GIS project, both the old and currently operating network is included into the geographic information system (GIS). Their electronic map clearly indicating every parameter is being prepared. Azersu GIS system was highly assessed by the leading companies and technological organizations as well as became a winner of several international contests.
The OJSC prefers using technological innovations when building and operating sewerage infrastructure. Clear proof of this process is a new technique-based construction of tunnel sewage collectors for disposal of waste and storm waters at Absheron peninsula. Within the framework of cooperation with international companies of the world, sewerage collectors Darnagul-Balakhany-Garachukhur, Khyrdalan-Khojasan, Bayil-Bibiheybat are built by applying new tunnel drilling equipment based on innovative technologies. The main advantage of this technology is the lack of necessity for removing above-ground facilities and distribution lines.
Special importance is attached to the growth of qualification and professional skills of employees in order to ensure stable operation of the water supply and sewerage system based on new technologies. Therefore, over 1100 employees of the company involved in professional training in 2013. Based on the cooperation with the Turkish company Tekno Yapı, 160 specialists took part in trainings arranged in Istanbul which covered such areas as design and construction, mechanics, power engineering, automation, information-communication technologies and commerce. Apart from this, the employees of the joint stock company attended courses and trainings arranged in Singapoure, Austria, Japan and other countries. A two-sided memorandum about support of the activity of vocational colleges was signed with the Ministry of Education in order to strengthen the human resources potential.
Azersu OJSC is going to face new challenges and tasks for improving water supply and sewage services. A large-scale work is still have to be carried out in 2014 and upcoming years in order to fulfill tasks assigned by President Ilham Aliyev and aimed at provision of an uninterrupted supply of drinking water to the population around the clock and creation of the sewerage system in compliance with international standards.
