Largest Vacuum Sewerage Project in Slovenia has Commenced Operation
One of Europe’s largest vacuum systems and certainly the largest vacuum sewerage system in Slovenia has commenced operation in the Municipality of Brezovica. The system will have 6 Vacuum Pump Stations and over 1,500 Flovac valves.
The municipality is located just south of the capital Ljubljana, in central Slovenia. It has a population of about 9,500 people. It is known for its famous marshlands which is why a vacuum system was chosen as the principal form of sewage collection for the region.
As all vacuum pipework is installed in shallow trenches, contractors were able to avoid dewatering to a large extent allowing construction time to be shortened extensively. This meant that there was a lot less impact on local residents who could still go on with their daily chores without disruption. It also meant that when severe cold weather occurred then workers were not impacted for long periods of time.
A gravity system would have required dozens of gravity pump stations due to the high water table while only 6 Vacuum Pump Stations were needed. This has reduced the energy cost of the system and also reduced the maintenance cost. As the area sometimes suffers power outages the ability to have backup generators at each station allowed for unrestricted service for homeowners. The Vacuum Pump Stations have both duty and standby pumps and are fully monitored back to base.
All 6 stations and all 1,500 vacuum valves are also monitored via the Flovac Monitoring System using a cable FLbus system which allows operators to see exactly which valves are operating in the network and if any infiltration is occurring.
Flovac Adria was established in 2006 and is based in Zalec, Slovenia and has done a number of projects in Slovenia and the region. It is the largest designer and supplier of vacuum systems in the Adriatic region and the groups Managing Director Mr Dejan Pušnik is considered one of the most experienced Vacuum Sewer professionals in Europe.
