MASTER'S THESIS - SuSanA

6 Site visits and interviews with local stakeholders
Results about the acceptance of special wastewater treatment technologies are poor. Knowledge about
technical solutions was not given, therefore no detailed questions about solutions, especially the use of
constructed wetlands and the wastewatre re-use, were possible. If people were interested in solving their
sanitation problems, they wanted to have more solutions presented and would like to participate in
decision processes. In general, if problems occured, people were interested in solutions. Otherwise
wastewater is not a pressing issue for them.
6.5 Recommended sites for further investigation by GIZ
For this study, ten sites have been visited in total in order to get an overview over the actual situation in
rural areas of Albania and to find appropriate places where the implementation of a reference sanitation
project would be possible and further investigations by a technical expert could take place.
At the present moment, not all of the necessary information to assess the criteria could be gathered form
the site visits. For example, the neighbourhood of Shëngjin seemed to be a very appropriate place to
implement a small or medium size wastewater treatment plant. But at the beginning of 2012, it was not
clear if a wastewater project for the bigger area of Shëngjin is under planning or not. Tina Eisele from the
GIZ office in Tirana got inconsitstent information about this topic by different stakeholders that could not be
clarified until hand-in of this thesis. If Ishull Shëngjin will be connected to a big wastewater treatment plant
that will treat wastewater of the whole area, no other investigation by GIZ will be necessary.
Based on the visits, some communes could be excluded from further investigations that will be done by the
expert Jens Nowak as GIZ consultant in March 2012. The sites to be excluded are commune Qelez and
commune Hajmel. First commune does not experience any problems concerning the wastewater situation
and is too poor to do something that is not needed. In the second commune, the mayor and the people
were not all at interested in improving their situation, even though they experience problems with the
drinking water quality.
The other sites are all more or less still interesting for further investigations. But some information are still
missing or unclear and need to be gathered. A short summary of findings and reasons for recommendation
for further investigation is given in the following for each site.
• Dober: Can be recommended for further assessment. Area is in need for sanitation system. But
commitment and responsibilities have to be clarified. Village has a good size for a small or medium
size WWTP. Scattered houses could be equipped with an on-site solution. Improvement of the
wastewater situation in this village would prevent pollution of the very close Shkodra Lake.
• Ishull Shëngjin: Would be a very suitable area to implement sewer system and wastewater
treatment plant. Area for the construction of a plant is available and commitment of people is
strong. People are better situated and could effort the financial local contribution. Area is close to
the coastline and therefore action to improve the wastewater situation is necessary. What has to be
clarified is the plans for the area to know if neighbourhood will get a connection to another big
wastewater treatment plant or not.
• School in Ishull Leizhë: Site can be recommended if GIZ wants another project at a school.
Problems are obvious and commitment of the responsibles seems to be given.
• Mishter: Village has problems with unsealed pits and open sewerage. No infromartion about
commitment of the mayor, but in general the village can be recommended for further investigation.
People know about their wastewater problems and would like to improve the situation.
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