In the frameworks of "The Cooperation Program of Black Sea regional countries for 2007-2013" in collaboration with researchers of Romania, Moldova, Greece, Bulgaria and Georgia, in Yerevan State University (YSU) continuing the "CISWastewater" (Continuous improvement strategy for increasing the efficiency of wastewaters treatment facilities in the Black Sea coastal states) 2nd Phase of the project the Romanian professionals created the manual named "DEFINE manual" and other participating countries’ working teams ​​translated it in their native languages. 

It represents a sewage treatment stations plants’ (WWTP) guidelines intended for the improvement of continuous exploitation woks, in which the continuous Improvement (CI) principles are described an integrated strategy for processes’ improvement, by searching and removing the causes of defects and variables; they also frame a continuous and qualitative improvement strategy, which involves the commitment of the entire working team. Following the DMAIC methodology, the DEFINE manual developes a series of key-aspects which require the WWTP managers’ attention, for being able to improve the treatment processes of the municipal and industrial wastewater, in order to reduce the Black Sea high degree of pollution.  

The DEFINE manual is built to support the initiatives of the WWTP managers for removing the defects of the treatment processes, by learning the continuous improvement strategies and their main implementing principles and instruments. It also displays an overview of the DEFINE phase and highlights the stages for CIS projects selection and the implementation steps, followed by the development of a risk management overview strategy.

After being acquainted with the DEFINE phase’s principles and stages, the WWTP manager will have the ability to identify an adequate strategy of improving the treatment processes, and also to prepare its future implementation, by adapting the learned key-aspects to the WWTP’s specificity.

In the 3rd Phase of the project, all participating teams published several examples of

"DEFINE manual" and in Tbilisi, Georgia (October 24-26) conducted Georgia’s WWTP professionals trainings for the first time.

Such trainings will be also held next year in Dobrich, Bulgaria and cities in Yerevan, Armenia.