The new water treatment system at Koppánymonostor will improve the water supply to Ács and the surrounding area

The comprehensive development of the drinking water network in Ács and the surrounding area is being carried out by a consortium comprising Colas Alterra Zrt. and Betonútépítő Zrt.. The aim is to ensure the region’s long-term water supply, whilst significantly increasing the system’s operational reliability and capacity.

The project does not affect just one town, but the entire catchment area of the former Ács–Komárom Waterworks, as well as the town of Bábolna. As a result of the development, Ács, Komárom and Bábolna will primarily receive their drinking water from the modernised Koppánymonostor water source, whilst Bábolna will retain the option of being supplied via the Tatabánya regional system.

The design brief extended not only to the preparation of the working drawings, but also to the preparation of the planning application documentation, the planning permission process and the as-built documentation, which was carried out by Green Technológia Kft. as a specialist subcontractor.

It’s not a lack of water; the system needs upgrading

The investment is not driven by a water shortage in the traditional sense. The region has adequate water resources; however, the scale, technical sophistication and age of the existing water treatment technology have already limited its ability to meet growing demand.

As a result of this development, there is an increase in

• the amount of water available,
• the consistency of care,
• operational safety,
• as well as the system’s flexibility in exceptional circumstances.

The modernised system is based on water from 16 wells

Thanks to previous developments, raw water is currently supplied to the Koppánymonostor waterworks from 16 wells.

One of the main aims of the current investment is to enable these available water resources to be managed and delivered to users using more advanced technology than before.

As part of the project, a completely new water treatment technology is being developed, which includes

• the removal of iron and manganese,
• disinfection and chlorination,
• automated process control,
• as well as remote monitoring systems.

The heart of the project is the de-ironing technology

According to the contractor, the most important part of the project is the technological system, which is perhaps the least visually striking from the outside.

The iron and manganese removal technology, which forms the core of the water treatment process, ensures that the raw water from the wells meets drinking water quality standards.

To an outside observer, this system appears to consist merely of a few large tanks and pipelines; in reality, however, it is the technical heart of the project, without which the entire development would be unable to fulfil its function.

The development is taking place at three sites

Ács: more than 8 kilometres of new pipeline have been laid within its administrative area, which means

• 7,055 running metres of D355 PE transmission pipeline were constructed,
• 1,058 running metres of D160 PE connecting pipe were laid,
• They are also upgrading the chlorination and flow-measurement systems at the elevated reservoir.

Due to the high groundwater level , vacuum well groundwater lowering was used; without this, the works could not have been carried out safely.

In Bábolna as part of the project

• 2,755 metres of D315 PE power cable,
• 753 metres of D225 PE pipe were laid,
• Two treated water reservoirs, each with a capacity of 1,250 cubic metres, were constructed,
• A new network pressure booster is to be installed
• and modernise the systems associated with the reservoir.

The reservoirs are circular in plan, with an internal diameter of 18 metres and a usable water depth of 5.5 metres.

The main site of the project is the Koppánymonostor waterworks. It was built here

• two raw water storage basins, each with a capacity of 1,000 cubic metres,
• the new raw water feed pump house,
• the new water treatment plant,
• the modernised network pumping station,
• as well as the process control system linked to the control centre.

The raw water storage tanks were constructed with an internal diameter of 16 metres and a usable storage height of 5.5 metres.

Special requirements for drinking water reservoirs

The construction of drinking water reservoirs must meet far stricter requirements than those for a conventional water management facility.

Structures in contact with water

• they must ensure complete watertightness,
• they must be coated with special coatings approved for contact with drinking water,
• they must be able to withstand the effects of frost,
• and they must also ensure that water quality is maintained in the long term.

Watertightness is checked by means of standardised water retention tests, whilst the quality of drinking water is analysed by accredited laboratories.

Ensure a continuous water supply throughout the construction work

One of the biggest challenges of the project was not the construction itself, but ensuring its continuous operation.

The contractors had to install new technological systems in such a way that users were not left without water for a single day.

To this end, temporary sections of cable have been laid, and the new facilities that have been completed are being gradually connected to the system.

Trial operations are underway

The project was launched in February 2025. The new raw water storage tanks came into operation as early as January 2026, enabling the old system components to be replaced.

The trial operation of the water treatment technology began on 16 June 2026 and is expected to last six months. According to the plans, drinking water treated using the new technology could be fed into the network as early as mid-September. During the trial operation, the architectural refurbishment of the buildings will be completed, the paving in the courtyard will be finished, and planting will be carried out.

The protection of agricultural land is also important

Throughout the project, particular attention was paid not only to technical solutions but also to environmental considerations.

Throughout both the design and construction phases, every effort was made to ensure that the layout of the routes would cause as little disruption as possible to the natural environment, and that, once the works were completed, the affected areas would be restored to their original condition.

This was particularly important because a significant proportion of the power lines run through areas used for agricultural cultivation. The experts therefore timed the construction work to coincide with the growing cycles of the crops, so as to cause as little disruption as possible to land users.

During the works, particular attention was paid to the protection of arable land and the management of the topsoil. The topsoil was treated and stored separately, and then replaced once the pipeline construction had been completed, thereby helping to restore the land to agricultural use.

Collaboration between several specialist fields

The complexity of the project is clearly illustrated by the fact that its implementation required the involvement of numerous specialist subcontractors and suppliers.

As part of the project, specialist contractors were responsible for the supply and installation of the water treatment units, the fitting of corrosion-resistant, acid-proof steel pipework, and the installation of the power supply and control systems.

To ensure the energy supply for the new facilities, it was also necessary to replace transformers, which likewise required specialist expertise. With the installation of the state-of-the-art automation and remote monitoring system, water production and storage capacities will in future be monitored centrally and, where necessary, controlled remotely.

Archaeological finds at the site

One of the unexpected discoveries of the project was that an archaeological site was uncovered during the demolition of the water storage basins, which had previously been taken out of service.

Following the excavations and artefact recovery work, the contractors modified the layout of the site so as to minimise the impact on the cultural heritage features as much as possible.

According to the contract, the project is due to be completed on 6 February 2027; however, local residents and businesses may begin to see the key benefits of the development as early as the second half of this year.