Varna Water Utility to Clean Beach After Wastewater Overflow.
The environmental inspectorate found that wastewater overflowed from a domestic collector into a stormwater drain and then into the Black Sea, leading to waste accumulation on Varna's Central Beach. The water utility was ordered to clean the beach and the overflow grate.
Vi K Varna has been ordered to clean part of Varna's beach after environmental inspectors found that wastewater had overflowed from a sanitary sewer into a stormwater collector and subsequently into the Black Sea, leaving waste scattered along the shoreline.
The Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW) in Varna received a report on Sunday at around 10:30 a. m. about pollution at the Central Beach, including wet wipes, toilet paper, sanitary products, and wastewater in the area between Central Beach and South Beach. An environmental inspector immediately carried out an inspection of the area north of the breakwater.
The inspection found that the pollution resulted from heavy rainfall during the night of July 8–9. Intense rainfall, combined with a blocked screen at the overflow structure connecting the combined sanitary sewer to the stormwater collector discharging into the Black Sea, caused mixed wastewater to overflow above the screen. Inspectors also found traces of high water levels confirming the overflow.
During the inspection, wet wipes were found both in the sea and along the beach, with the concentration of waste decreasing from south to north.
RIEW issued mandatory instructions requiring Vi K Varna to clean the beach and remove the accumulated waste from the overflow screen. The environmental inspectorate will monitor compliance with the issued orders.
At the time of the inspection, no ongoing overflow of wastewater from the sanitary sewer into the stormwater collector and the Black Sea was detected. The sanitary sewer system is operated by Vi K Varna Ltd.