Given the intricate nature of establishing a wastewater collection and treatment system for the forthcoming Velje Brdo settlement, the initial phase accommodating six thousand residents will utilize septic tanks until the collector network is fully developed, as per the Podgorica Spatial Plan approved by the Government last week.

The definitive solution for waste disposal in this anticipated settlement, projected to house a total of 40 thousand residents, involves constructing a new pipeline (collector) that will direct to a yet-to-be-established wastewater treatment facility in Botun, contingent upon resolving disputes with local residents and the Municipality of Zeta.

Septic tanks while awaiting collectors

During the first phase, until the complete collector is established, the settlement will connect to the existing sewage pipeline (collector) on Boška Buhe Street in Tološi, which is expected to be expanded by that time. Additionally, a pipeline is planned along Partizanski Put (the road to Mareza). However, given the time constraints, the initial construction will commence with septic tanks.

“To facilitate the smooth drainage of sanitary wastewater from the planned Velje Brdo settlement to the central wastewater treatment plant, it is essential to expand the proposed collectors, tentatively named Kanal 5 and Kanal 6. For the execution of the initial phase, sanitary wastewater will flow by gravity to the collector on Boška Buhe Street, which will also collect drainage from the Vranjići settlement. The eastern portion of Velje Brdo will connect via gravity to the fecal sewage collector planned on Partizanski Put Street for wastewater discharge from the Tološi settlement. Until these collectors are operational, the construction of waterproof septic tanks or local wastewater treatment devices is planned,” the document states.

The draft plan referenced the potential establishment of a local wastewater treatment facility for this expansive settlement on the slopes by the Zeta River, part of the Zeta River Nature Park. Currently, this facility is mentioned only as a possible alternative to septic tanks, lacking further elaboration.

No clarity on timing or anticipated move-in

The document does not specify the timeline for devising temporary and permanent solutions for wastewater disposal and treatment in Velje Brdo, merely stating that it “represents a crucial component of the municipal infrastructure for the new settlement” and that “its construction and operation directly impact public health, groundwater and surface water protection, and overall environmental quality.”

When unveiling this project last September, just before the Podgorica local elections, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic indicated that initial resident occupancy in Velje Brdo would occur around mid-2026, while Minister of Spatial Planning and Urbanism Slaven Radulović suggested during an Assembly debate that this timeline might be pushed back to early 2027.

The current treatment facility handles less than half of the sewage from Podgorica’s system, with the remainder flowing directly into the Morača River. Thus, it is recommended that Velje Brdo connect to the forthcoming plant near Botun.

One-third of Mareza’s water to supply the settlement

The draft plan included provisions for a separate water supply system for the settlement from new wells in Zagorič; however, the final plan states that only the Mareza spring will be tapped for drinking water. The current solution envisions using multiple pumping stations and large reservoirs to transport water from the spring to the hilltop, enabling gravity supply to the settlement. The Mareza spring is situated 35 meters above sea level, while the intended reservoir will be at 270 meters above sea level.

For the initial phase alone, it states a need for 150 liters per second, amounting to 10 percent of the Mareza spring’s current capacity. Eventually, the settlement will require 499 liters per second, or one-third of the spring’s total output.

Podgorica already faces water supply challenges during the summer months, prompting the Water Authority to request conservation measures at the end of July, advising that city water should be reserved strictly for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. The new plan does not address how the existing areas of Podgorica, as well as future expansions, will manage the water redirected to Velje Brdo.

The proposal includes building a new pumping station at the Mareza spring for the first phase, which will elevate water to 140 meters above sea level, where the initial large reservoir will be established. From this reservoir, additional pumping stations will transfer water to a second reservoir at 270 meters, from which it will be distributed by gravity to the initial segment of the Velje Brdo settlement.

No timeframe or cost estimate has been provided for planning and constructing these pumping stations and reservoirs. Furthermore, the size of these reservoirs remains unspecified, with analyses by the Podgorica Waterworks anticipated to determine this.

The documentation indicates that the first phase of the settlement will necessitate 77 thousand cubic meters of water daily, or a maximum consumption rate of 151 liters per second. By the completion of all five phases, demand would rise to 254 thousand cubic meters per day, at a peak rate of 499 liters per second.

“The capacity of the existing source is estimated to be around 1500 l/s. The newly designed water supply system is planned to pump all water from the Mareza water source for the needs of the Capital at an elevation of roughly 140 m above sea level on the eastern side of Velje Brdo. A reservoir named ‘Velje Brdo 1’ will be constructed at this elevation. The reservoir’s capacity will be defined through necessary studies and conceptual designs for the capital’s water supply network. Given that the first phase of Velje Brdo requires about 10% of the current Mareza source capacity, the plan envisions drawing these quantities from the Mareza source during times of minimal water demand in the Capital,” the Plan notes.

New pumping stations, extensive pipelines, massive reservoirs…no funding insight

According to the plan, water for Velje Brdo will be drawn from the main transit pipeline running from Mareza to the city, located on Partizanski Put. The initial reservoir at 140 meters will integrate into the city system, with gravity-fed water flowing through a pipeline to lower-lying areas such as Tološi, Vranići, across the Morača, while any surplus will be pumped during low-demand periods to a second reservoir at the hilltop designated for the first phase only.

“The newly constructed pumping station (on Partizanski Put) will aim to transfer the entire volume of water to the ‘Velje Brdo 1’ reservoir, primarily serving the ongoing needs of Podgorica’s water supply system. Surplus water from the ‘Velje Brdo 1’ reservoir will be shifted via appropriately sized pumps to the elevation of 270 m for the ‘Velje Brdo 2’ reservoir, which will cater to the first phase of the settlement,”

Consequently, to initiate the first phase of the Velje Brdo residential complex, a sizable pumping station must first be established in Tološi on Partizanski Put, followed by a pipeline to the 140-meter elevation where the initial large reservoir will be sited, capable of providing water to the entire area, including Morača and Velje Brdo. After that, another pumping station and pipeline are required to transport water to a second reservoir at 270 meters, where water for the very first phase of Velje Brdo will be stored.

Timeframes and financial estimations pertaining to these prerequisites for initiating settlement construction are not discussed.

The plan suggests that the considerable changes needed in the city’s water supply due to the Velje Brdo settlement warrant a new study, as the existing one conducted 15 years ago did not account for this massive development.

In addition to six thousand apartments, the first phase is projected to include a kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, a health center, multiple commercial buildings, shops, and recreational and green spaces. Each subsequent phase of settlement expansion is expected to incorporate educational and health facilities alongside residential blocks.

€350 million and five years to commence settlement

The essential prerequisites for construction, alongside resolving the sewage system for both waste and stormwater drainage, and establishing a complex water supply system with pumping stations and reservoirs, include constructing a boulevard from Podgorica along the old road to Velji Brdo, and a circular boulevard around the slopes of Velji Brdo to its apex.

The plan does not delineate the anticipated costs for this fundamental infrastructure necessary to commence the first phase of settlement construction or the duration for its completion.

In the initial article regarding this project in “Vijesti,” two days post-announcement at the Prime Minister’s press conference, infrastructure professionals opined that the requisite infrastructure would demand at least €350 million, and if feasible, would require a minimum of five years. Hence, only after this period could the construction of the initial residential buildings commence.

The assertions from that time are corroborated by the current statements in the Spatial Plan, albeit without specific figures.

Dragoljub Marković, MA, the sole spatial planner on the Council for revising this plan who provided a negative assessment, emphasized the concern surrounding large investments in infrastructure.

“From the perspective of overarching goals and strategic initiatives, it appears more prudent to redirect the funds that the state should allocate (around €600 million?) for infrastructural development of the planned settlement towards enhancing and organizing areas currently grappling with negative growth and demographic downturns,” remarked Marković.

News