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WATMAN

Project co-financed by the Cohesion Fund of the European Union through the Sectoral Operational Programme “Environment”

WATMAN – Information System for Integrated Water Management – Phase I

WATMAN:
Water and technology at the service of people!

“WATMAN – Information System for Integrated Water Management – Phase I” is a project that has as final objective the protection of the population, by modernizing the adequate infrastructure for flood prevention in order to mitigate their destructive consequences.

The beneficiary of the project is the NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION “ROMANIAN WATERS”.

The total investment is 63 million euros, of which 85% are European funds and the rest is co-financing from the budget.
The financing contract was signed on August 9, 2013, and the duration of the project is 25 months.

The project contributes to the general objective of POS MEDIU, namely to improve the standard of living of the population, as well as to the fulfillment of Romania’s agreements with the EU regarding environmental protection. At the same time, the project also contributes to achieving the objectives of POS Environment, priority axis 5 “Development of adequate infrastructure to prevent natural risks in areas most exposed to risk” – major area of intervention 1 – “Protection against floods by developing sustainable flood management in the most vulnerable areas” of the 11 river basins – Somes-Tisa, Crisuri, Mures, Banat, Jiu, Olt, Arges-Vedea , Buzău-Ialomiţa, Siret, Prut-Bârlad and Dobrogea-Litoral.

The overall objective of the project is to provide an efficient tool to the authorities responsible for flood management, with which to limit the damages produced by major risk phenomena (floods, accidental pollution) in order to protect the population and its assets.

Thus, the implementation of the project will have a considerable positive impact on the population. Approximately 1.5 million inhabitants will benefit from protection in vulnerable areas, and the risk of flooding will be reduced by 7% at the level of the 11 river basins in Romania.

DIRECT BENEFITS:

  1. Optimizing the security and efficiency of the infrastructure of the already existing hydrotechnical works at national level, under the administration of NGO “Romanian Waters”;
  2. Computerization of the system for collecting data from automatic stations that will be installed at the level of dams of major importance;
  3. Remote monitoring, 24 hours a day and in real time of the behavior of hydrotechnical constructions;
  4. Refurbishment of intervention means: use of “water against water” technology;
  5. Integration of all information at electronic level and communication as quickly and in real time as possible between responsible authorities;

SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:

  1. Increasing the number of lives that can be saved (principle of prevention);
  2. Reducing the time saved for people and companies;
  3. Rational use of water resources, according to the “polluter pays” principle, by installing automatic stations for measuring use flows;
  4. Reducing losses that may occur in the production process of companies, as a result of damage to telecommunications, roads and railways, as well as tourism, due to infrastructure and landscape damage;
  5. There is no risk of accidents affecting human health and the quality of the environment.

ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT

Investment object 1 – Increasing the safety degree of hydrotechnical constructions

The proposed investments include automatic sensors and complementary equipment to:

  • 89 automated stations with sensors to increase dam safety;
  • 233 automatic stations with sensors for measuring snow cover and hydrometric stations for tributary flows, sockets and derivatives;
  • 89 dams equipped with software and hardware to control and coordinate the operation of hydrotechnical constructions;
  • Flood intervention equipment and means

Investment object 2 – Increasing the intervention capacity in case of natural disasters

  • 15 coordination centres and 23 rapid intervention centres
  • Software and hardware facilities at coordination centers;
  • Facilities at rapid intervention centers;
  • 51 automated stations with sensors for monitoring water quality;
  • Spare parts.

EXPECTED RESULTS OF THE PROJECT

Upgraded decision-making systems for operational actions during and after floods;
Optimization of control in coordinating the operation of hydrotechnical constructions;
Improved and integrated hydrological data by collecting more data in river sections where there are currently no hydrological stations;
More accurate forecast of floods and pollution in a short period of time using collected data.
Through all the measures that will be taken, the WATMAN project is the largest management and institutional and decision-making capacity building project carried out so far in Romania.

The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union or the Government of Romania