As part of the CIVAQUA-Tócó project, a new reservoir is being built in Debrecen, on Vezér út, the construction of which representatives of the press were able to view during a professional presentation on June 22, 2023.
Within the framework of the Environmental and Energy Efficiency Operative Program, the first phase of the CIVAQUA program is being implemented in Debrecen, with 15.748 billion forints of non-refundable European Union and domestic support. The aim of the “CIVAQUA-Tócó project as the transformation and expansion of the Hajdúhátság Multi-Purpose Water Management System” project with identification number KEHOP-1.3.0-15-2021-00027 is the revitalization and revitalization of the upper section of the Tócó watercourse west of Debrecen. As part of the development, a reservoir with a volume of almost 26,000 cubic meters will be built in Debrecen, in the Vezér út area – it was announced at a press event in Debrecen.
Efforts to mitigate the water shortage in Debrecen and its surroundings and to keep water in the area go back decades. One of the most significant stages of this was the construction of the Keleti Main Canal (handover: July 14, 1956), which brought the water of the Tisza, if not to Debrecen, but within reach (18-20 km). To overcome this distance, the construction of the Hajdúhátság Multipurpose Water Management System (HTVR) began in the early 1970s, but the investment was stopped in the 1980s due to economic reasons. The aim of the CIVAQUA program is to eliminate disadvantages arising from missed technical interventions. This means a regional development that simultaneously ensures the satisfaction of the needs of water management and nature conservation.
According to parliamentary representative Lajos Kósa, a decade-long dream is coming true with the fact that the Civaqua program aimed at mitigating the water shortage in Debrecen and its surroundings and keeping water in the region has finally come to fruition. The politician expressed his hope that the people of Debrecen will like the new reservoir and that many people will picnic on its shores.
The mayor of Debrecen, László Papp, spoke about the progress of the project, saying that the 15-kilometer pipeline section, which will take the water from the Tisza to the source area of the Tócó, has now been almost completely built. The pump has already been lifted into place at the pumping station, and the construction of the so-called high-point water reservoir in the Bodaszőlő area also began in May. Along the Tócó, the construction of 14 dams and 4 bottom steps necessary to hold back the water is underway, work is already underway at 10 locations. The mayor thanked the planners for considering the development elements not simply from the point of view of surface water management, but taking into account that, for example, water reservoirs should also serve welfare purposes.
According to deputy mayor Ákos Balázs, the BMW investment represents the pinnacle of Debrecen’s economic development, and the Civaqua program in the field of nature conservation, in the later stages of which the Nagyerdő and Fancsikai lakes can be supplied with water.
In describing the works taking place on Vezér út, Attila Szegi, technical secretary of TIVIZIG, said: as part of the project, a so-called circular fill reservoir will be built next to Tócó. The area of the reservoir will be 1.6 ha, and the water surface will be 1.5 ha. The maximum value of the reservoir volume is 25,755 m3, the average water depth is around one and a half meters. The primary function of the reservoir is to hold back larger water flows and internal water waves coming from the Tócó, which would cause problems in the lower sections, in the event of significant rainfall. In addition, it will represent a reserve water base during periods of drought, and will also serve ecological, social and well-being purposes. Water enters the Vezér út reservoir by gravity, thanks to a dam being built on the Tócó, through the intake structure also being built as part of the project. It is created at the NE corner of the reservoir. At the SE corner of the reservoir, a drainage structure is being built, through which the reservoir water can be released back into the Tócó. Construction work on the reservoir began in 2022. The southern side of the embankment, parallel to Vezér út, has not yet been completed, and the construction of the reservoir’s inlet and outlet still remains.
The project is implemented within the framework of the Széchenyi 2020 program by the consortium of the National Water Directorate General and the Tiszántúli Water Directorate, in cooperation with the Debrecen Municipality. The contractor is AQUA-GENERAL Kft. from Hajdúszoboszló. Planned deadline for the physical completion of the project: November 30, 2023.
(Tiszántúli Vízügyi Igazgatóság)
