OREANDA-NEWS. June 27, 2011. The Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) summarized the results of its 10-year work. SUE "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg" hosted a conference where the participants discussed NDEP’s experience in the field of municipal investments in Russia, new perspectives of environmental cooperation between Russia and the EU and the experience and results of cooperation between Vodokanal St. Petersburg and NDEP.

The Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership is an international organization to coordinate the efforts of the European Commission, partner governments (Russia, France, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and Belarus) and international financial institutions (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Nordic Investment Bank, Nordic Environment Finance Corporation – NEFCO and World Bank). NDEP is focused on the matters, such as the condition of water resources, wastewater treatment and nuclear waste disposal. NDEP supports mobilization of funds for the implementation of prioritized environmental projects. .

Vodokanal St. Petersburg has a long-term experience of successful cooperation with the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership. For instance, NDEP is participating in the implementation of a very important environmental project – the Neva Untreated Wastewater Discharge Closure Programme which covers completion of the Main Sewage Collector extension in the northern part of the city and reconstruction of Northern WWTP.

In April 2009, NDEP gave a grant of 24 million Euro for this project. Another project with the NDEP participation is related to reconstruction and modernization of small wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in St. Petersburg. The project is aimed to improve the nutrients removal process and to raise the energy efficiency of treatment systems. The NDEP Fund granted 3.75 million Euro for the reconstruction and modernization of small WWTPs.

Thanks to the projects with NDEP participation 98% of all wastewater in St. Petersburg will be discharged treated by 2015.