Today at 11.00 a press briefing will be held in the building of the Liepaja City Council at 6 Rožu Street regarding the accident at the sewage treatment plant on Sunday evening, Zita Lazdane, head of the municipality’s public relations and marketing department, told LETA.
At a press briefing, responsible persons will inform about the accident, the amount of damage caused to the environment, and the prevention of the consequences of the accident.
As reported, on Sunday evening in Liepaja, the wall of the preliminary treatment tank of the treatment plant collapsed, as a result of which part of the treatment water leaked into the sea.
According to preliminary estimates by experts from the State Environmental Service (SES), as a result of an accident at a wastewater treatment plant in Liepaja, about 1,250 cubic meters (m3) of untreated wastewater leaked into the environment.
Due to the emergency situation, VVD specialists are working on site in Liepaja in order to determine the situation and possible threats of environmental pollution together with other specialists. Work is also underway on possible solutions for the immediate prevention of emergencies.
Evita Šestakova, director of the VVD Regional Ecological Transfer, reports that a survey of the territory of SIA “Liepājas ūdes” is currently being carried out, including the wastewater intake chamber, where sulphurous waters are treated. This chamber consists of two channels, one of which is damaged, namely, its wall has collapsed. While the other channel is working, its work will be restored within a day. According to Shestakova, inspectors are surveying the territory and filming with a drone at sea.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development has also been informed about the situation in Liepaja, which is in active contact with the Environmental Protection Service and the leadership of the Liepaja municipality.
There are no threats to people’s health, however, due to the increased risk of environmental pollution, residents of the sea coast are urged in the coming days to refrain from swimming on the beaches of the Miedza parish and Liepaja in the South Kurzeme region.
In addition, local residents are encouraged to reconsider their daily habits and reduce the amount of water discharged into the sewer.
Responsible services have begun monitoring water samples to monitor water quality.
“Currently, it is difficult to predict the duration of works and the impact on the environment, but local government specialists and responsible institutions are working and monitoring the current situation. We invite residents to follow the official announcements,” said Zita Lazdane, head of the municipality’s public relations and marketing department.
In connection with this event, on Sunday evening, the Liepāja and South Kurzeme Civil Defense Commission was convened, at which the report of Liepājas ūdes Ltd. on the current situation, steps already taken and future actions was heard.
In addition, local residents are encouraged to reconsider their daily habits and reduce the amount of water discharged into the sewer.
Responsible services have begun monitoring water samples to monitor water quality.