The Meltola wastewater treatment plant is in its final stages

The groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation of Imatra's Meltola wastewater treatment plant is being celebrated today, Thursday.

The project, which started two years ago, has largely progressed as planned.

— It's a small miracle when you consider the time in which the construction took place. There has been a corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The war in particular has slowed down material deliveries and raised prices, which in turn has affected scheduling and coordination, water supply manager Kari Pietarinen says.

The schedule is extended by a few months from the original: it was originally supposed to be ready in August of this year. Now the estimated completion time is early 2024.

— The schedule change is small when compared to the total duration of the contract. All in all, the work has progressed well.

The end result is cleaner water

The project started in 2017 with a preliminary plan. Construction actually started two years ago.

In connection with the renovation, the treatment plant's technology will be completely renewed. The most significant change is the post-treatment of wastewater, which previously did not exist at all.

— Previously, the purified water was led from the waste water basins to Vuo. Now a fabric element has been added to the cleaning process, which cleans the water and especially reduces phosphorus emissions, Pietarinen says.

With the renovation, the treatment plant's capacity and cleaning efficiency will improve significantly. The new wastewater plant is also a significant factor in protecting Vuoksi's water quality.

The wastewater treatment plant is owned by the city of Imatra. However, the renovation of the treatment plant is a regional project, as Lappeenrantan Energia Oy and the municipality of Ruokolahti are involved in the project with a total of 25%.

The Ministry of the Environment has granted a grant of 1,1 million euros to improve energy efficiency.

— The grant was a significant factor in the implementation of the renovation, Pietarinen says.

For more information:

water management manager Kari Pietarinen, kari.pietarinenimatra.fi (kari[dot]pietarinen[at]imatra[dot]fi), tel. 020 617 4399

Updated with new information on 3.10.2023 October XNUMX: Completion date changed to early 2024.