Waste dumps in Jarški prod
Principal Investigator at ZRC SAZU
Aleš Smrekar, PhD-
Original Title
The drafting of the cadastre and the proposal of prioritized rehabilitation of waste dumps in Jarški prod pumping station watershed area
Project Team
David Bole, PhD, Mateja Breg Valjavec, PhD, Jerneja Fridl, PhD, Drago Kladnik, PhD, Primož Gašperič, PhD, Blaž Komac, PhD, Miha Pavšek, MA, Primož Pipan, PhD, Mimi Urbanc, PhD, Matija Zorn, PhD-
Duration
1 May 2004–30 April 2005 -
Project Leader
Aleš Smrekar, Ph. D.
-
Financial Source
Mestna občina Ljubljana
Partners
Javno podjetje Vodovod–Kanalizacija d. o. o., National Institute of Chemistry Slovenia
All studies conducted on illegal waste dumps in Ljubljansko polje indicate that there are large quantities of waste in the Jarški prod area. The Jarški prod water pumping station is a prospective source of water for Ljubljana. The available quantities of groundwater allow for increased pumping of drinking water.
Location of dumps. (figure in high resolution)
The greatest hazard for drinking water at Jarški prod are illegal waste dumps lying above areas where the current of the groundwater flows towards the water pumping station and where the Sava river flows into the groundwater. The high level of groundwater and the presence of gravel pits increases vulnerability. 151 illegal waste dumps, 22 gravel pits, 15 obstacles and 10 sign posts were found in water protection zones 0, I and IIA of the Jarški prod water pumping station.
Intensive removal of gravel degrades the landscape, which becomes ‘’attractive’’ for uncontrollable dumping of waste.
Waste dumps cover the total area of 26,272 m2, whilst their total volume is 42,464 m3. Close to three-quarters of the waste is construction material, followed by the municipal waste at slightly over one-sixth. 40 waste dumps are fully active, 44 are partly active and 67 are inactive. We estimate that 54 waste dumps are less than one year old and 97 are older, which suggests that dumping is still very active.
Many illegal waste dumping grounds are in close vicinity of allotment settlements.
Surface change of gravel pit. (figure in high resolution)
An inspection of the waste and analyses of samples show that there are not many hazardous materials. We can conclude, on the basis of the results of groundwater monitoring, that hazardous materials are not washed out of the illegal waste dumps. This suggests that a simple and not as expensive rehabilitation of the degraded area can be carried out to improve its quality.
Gradually a complete rehabilitation of all illegal waste dumps will be needed, however the large amount of waste makes it unrealistic to expect this to be achieved all at once. Based on four different content aspects (the vulnerability of the area, the level of burdening, the aesthetic aspect of burdening and the field predicament of possible rehabilitation) we prioritized the rehabilitation. The dumps were arranged into five groups : the first group consisting of 12 illegal dumps, the second of 25, the third of 37, the fourth of 50 and the fifth group of 27 illegal dumps.
Stream of river Sava. (figure in high resolution)
Locations of possible barrier. (figure in high resolution)