Today, agreement was signed for construction works connected with the flood protection of Opole. The project connected with the alteration of “Żelazna” polder in Opole has been awaited by the local government and city residents for a long time. The Marshall’s Office allocated PLN 80 million to this project from the European Funds (within the Regional Operational Programme of the Voivodeship of Opole), while the City of Opole allocated PLN 31 million to this task. The remaining costs and the project implementation are on the part of Wody Polskie. The value of this project is close to PLN 111.5 million.
Within the task called “Alteration of the Existing “Żelazna” polder in Opole, including the Alteration of the Existing Water Devices and Construction of New Ones to Increase the Polder Capacity and the Flood Reserve”, Wody Polskie will carry out comprehensive works. The project is aimed at flood protection of the Oder valley in the commune of Opole, including but not limited to the area of the Special Economic Zone at ul. Północna in Opole, residential areas at ul. Partyzancka, the Northern bypass road of the city of Opole, Sławice district and Żelazna (the commune of Dąbrowa) from the Oder flood water. The designed alteration of structures (water devices) of the polder will improve also the use of land situated within the existing polder. The task implementation will improve the flood protection of people and property in the Voivodeship of Opole.
Państwowe Gospodarstwo Wodne Wody Polskie, Regionalny Zarząd Gospodarki Wodnej in Gliwice. The project is co-funded from the funds of the European Regional Development Fund under the Regional Operational Programme of the Voivodeship of Opole for 2014–2020.
The project is to be completed in 2023.
The works will consist e.g. in constructing and altering closure embankments including the construction and alteration of accompanying structures, and also in altering Żelazna pumping station with its accompanying structures.
The altered polder will be inundated with flood water with the probability of occurrence p = 1% (once every 100 years) and not as it is now, i.e. water with the probability of occurrence of p = 3% (once every 33 years). This means the safety in the facility impact range will increase measurably. The polder will take over the flood wave peak and reduce the flow of the Oder in a part of the city of Opole and downstream communes, i.e. Dąbrowa and Dobrzeń Wielki.
Considering the cost of flood-related losses for the economic zone in Opole, the project cost will be returned many times right during the first flood.
On 15 February 2019, Państwowe Gospodarstwo Wodne Wody Polskie Regionalny Zarząd Gospodarki Wodnej in Gliwice took over the design technical documents of Żelazna polder from the previous developer, the Marshall of the Voivodeship of Opole. Thanks to this step, implementation of this project of immense importance for the flood protection of Opole is about to enter the basic stage.
The design documents of this project, the required approvals, opinions and administrative decisions, together with the permit to implement the project with respect to flood protection structures used to be held by the Marshall of the Voivodeship of Opole. Wody Polskie carried out numerous activities, preceded by time-consuming processing of understandings concerning the documents hand-over, together with a grant from the Regional Operational Programme of the Voivodeship of Opole for 2014–2020 and an amendment concerning the project co-funding with the Office of the City of Opole which provided the so-called own contribution to the project in the first installation. Although the Office of the City of Opole has not made any decision concerning the transfer of the own contribution funds for the project to be implemented by Wody Polskie, the Director of Regionalny Zarząd Gospodarki Wodnej in Gliwice took over the design documents from the Member of the Board of the Voivodeship of Opole, Stanisław Rakoczy.
Państwowe Gospodarstwo Wodne Wody Polskie intends to execute the required agreement with the Institution Implementing the Regional Operational Programme of the Voivodeship of Opole for 2014–2020 soon pursuant to which Wody Polskie will become a beneficiary of the project funds. Simultaneously, Regionalny Zarząd Gospodarki Wodnej in Gliwice awaits the transfer of the own contribution by the local government, i.e. the Office of the City of Opole. Once all the formal aspects are completed and funds are safeguarded for the project, Wody Polskie will initiate the implementation process immediately.
Żelazna polder was created before 1939. At present, it requires redesigning and altering to ensure flood protection from the Oder. It will protect the area of the special economic zone in Opole, the residential areas at ul. Partyzancka and the area of the Northern bypass road of the city of Opole. The polder will exert a favourable impact on the village of Sławice, Żelazna, Niewodniki and Narok, the Power Plant of Opole and downstream areas. The facility alteration will increase its area from 200 ha to 400 ha and its capacity five times, to ca. 10 million m3. The polder embankments will be more than 15 km long. The project will ensure complete control of flow during any surge.
The cost of this project considered to be a priority by Wody Polskie in Opole region will be close to PLN 110 million. In the planned budget, PLN 79 million is funds from the Regional Operational Programme for 2014–2020, while PLN 31.2 million is the own contribution required to construct Żelazna polder provided by the City of Opole (under the Resolution of the City Council of 31 August 2017).
At present the financial losses and damage caused by any inundation are estimated to reach ca. PLN 800 million solely for the economic zone of the City of Opole. This means that the project cost is returned 7 times during the first flood.
