BIORETENTION SYSTEMS AS A PART OF ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL TREATMENT PRACTICE OF WASTEWATER IN THE CITY OF NOVI SAD

The wastewater of the city of Novi Sad (combined sewage, industrial, municipal and stormwater) is directly discharged without any chemical or mechanical treatment into the Danube River. In order to comprehend the potential hazards in wastewater on the environment in the Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, analysis of relevant physico-chemical parameters in wastewater samples that have the highest impact on the urban environment pollution (metals ions (Cd, Cr, Fe, Pb, and Zn) and NO2-, NO3-, NH4+, Tot-N, COD, BOD, TSS and Tot±P) was performed. Sampling campaigns from GC2 wastewater collector have been conducted monthly in the period of 2013 ± 2014. The obtained results suggest that some parameters were measured above the appointed regulation limits (BOD5, COD, TSS, TP and TN) with the concentrations of those parameters from 3 to 16 times higher than required emission limit values. The main objective of the study was to define optimal choice of new, integrated environmental systems in order to appropriate solutions for sustainable management of wastewater treatment in the city of Novi Sad. Biofiltration and bioretention systems can be used for wastewater treatment, in order to reduce pollutant loads in sewers and receiving waters, according to their high effectiveness in pollutants removal as well as their ability to adapt to different site conditions.