Hidrológiai Közlöny, 2016 (96. évfolyam)
2016 / 3. szám - HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT - Juhász Endre - Major Veronika: Sanitation in Hungary
Sanitation in Hungary Endre Juhász* & Veronika Major** *MASZESZ, H-l 134 Budapest Váci u. 23-27, Hungary (E-mail: juhasz.endre@t-email.hu ) **VTK Innosystem Ltd., H-l 134 Budapest, Pattantyús str. 7, Hungary (E-mail: major.vera@innosystem.hu ) Dedication Our article is dedicated to late Dr. Pál Benedek (1924-2016), who was the director of Water Quality Protection Institute of VITUKI until he retired, and founder of the Hungarian water quality control system. Dr. Pál Benedek’s exceptional professionalism, credible and kind humanity remains eternal example for us. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________25 Abstract The conscious, systematic planning of sewerage system started in the last third of the nineteenth century in Hungary. Nowadays more than 80% of the dwellings supplied with public drinking water has been connected to sewage networks and at least 75% of the wastewater treatment plants has biological stage wastewater treatment. The sustainability and integrated water management teaches us a new way of thinking. The cost-effective and environmentally friendly use of integrated water management systems is becoming more and more urgent to ensure sustainable development and adapt to global climate change. The treated wastewater, rain water and sewage sludge have to be considered as source of power and energy, and this approach, attitude should be learnt by our generation as well as the next generation. This article outlines the Hungarian sewerage and wastewater treatment history from the Roman times to present days through turbulent World War times and discusses the likely main development directions in the sector, which would match the climate change and sustainability challenges. Keywords Sewage, wastewater treatment, integrated management of water, water reuse INTRODUCTION The conscious, systematic planning of sewerage system started in the last third of the nineteenth century in Hungary. Nowadays, 85% of dwellings with public water supply is connected to the sewerage system and in 75% of wastewater treatment plants there is at least biological treatment. The sustainability and integrated water management teaches us a new way of thinking. The cost- effective and environmentally friendly use of integrated water management systems is becoming more and more urgent to ensure sustainable development and adaptation to global climate change. The treated wastewater, rain water and sewage sludge have to be considered as source of energy, and this approach, attitude should be learnt by our generation as well as the next generation. This article i) outlines the Hungarian sewerage and wastewater treatment history from the Roman times to present days through turbulent World War times, ii) provides an overview on wastewater collection and treatment practice and iii) reviews the most important achievements and daily problems on this professional field. Furthermore, most likely development directions of the sector and their connections to climate change and sustainability challenges are discussed, as well. WASTEWATER COLLECTION PRIOR TO WORLD WAR I In Hungary the earliest data of wastewater collection is related to the fortresses of the Roman Empire. In some locations of Roman time remnants closed pipes made of stone transported stormwater and sewage to the nearest stream were excavated. The Hungarian reform era in the middle of the 19th century brought the first recognisable changes. Needs for sewerage systems have been forced partly by industrialisation and to a greater extent by the fear of cholera and plague epidemics spreading almost completely unchecked from Western Europe in the second part of the 19th century. Conscious, systematic planning of sewerage system started. The system implemented in the city London served as template for Hungary, and unsurprisingly the first plans and designs were prepared by English engineers. The first so-called „Local Legislation” was created, ending the earlier practice of ad-hoc construction works often resulting in chaos and flood risk. According to then time legislation, only the town itself was entitled to build pipelines, and, as the pipeline was being built, flats had to be connected to the system. Costs of construction had to be covered by the property owners living in the given street. Figure 1. The first sewerage map of Budapest (Source: Budapest csatornázása: Pest város 1847. évi csatornázási szabályrendeletének 125 éves évfordulójára 1972)
