Rational approach to the solution of the problem of wastewaters management - The Kastela bay case

Uncontrolled disposal of urban and industrial wastewaters into the sea led to the fact that in mid eighties
the Kasštela Bay, near the city of Split, Republic of Croatia, became one of the largest and most widely
known pollution “hot-spot” areas of the Mediterranean region. The pollution of the Bay caused “red
tide” and mass mortality of marine organisms. Numerous conflicts arose, and the quality of life was
reduced due to the changed quality of the sea. Local communities recognized the problem, and the longterm
solution of wastewater management has been developed. This solution envisages the collection of
all domestic wastewaters at two points in the area, and, after treatment at an appropriate level, their discharge
via long submarine outfalls into a less sensitive marine environment. For the implementation of
the first phase of the long-term solution, a project “Eco Kaštela Bay” has been launched. The project is
financed from local and governmental sources, as well as loans of the World Bank and the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The present paper describes the area, environmental conditions,
and the approach applied in the long-term solution of waste waters management.