A delegation of representatives of PUC “Vodovod” Kraljevo, PUC “Vodovod” Pljevlja and the local government of Pljevlja, stayed from October 22 to 24, 2024 on a study visit in Maribor, Slovenia. The visit was organized as part of the “Let’s join the sustainable future through better wastewater management” project, which is jointly implemented by these two utility companies, co-financed by the European Union within the Cross-Border Cooperation Program Serbia – Montenegro 2014 -2020. 
The aim of the visit was to learn about innovative approaches in the field of wastewater management, especially in terms of reducing the negative impact on the environment, as well as the application of best practices in wastewater treatment in urban and rural areas.
During their stay in Maribor, the delegation had the opportunity to learn about the functioning of the wastewater treatment system in Slovenia and to exchange experiences with colleagues from Maribor. In the introductory part of the visit, a meeting was held with representatives of the city of Maribor and the local utility company, where models of waste water management in Slovenia were presented, as well as the specifics of the system in Serbia and Montenegro.
During the second day of the visit, a tour of the waste water treatment plant in Pesniški Dvor was organized, where the participants from Serbia and Montenegro had the opportunity to learn about modern technologies in waste water treatment, as well as the challenges in managing the waste sludge that arises during this process.
In the further course of the visit, the delegation visited the SBR (‘Sequencing Batch Reactor’) plant in the rural part of Maribor, in the Rače settlement, where they learned about the specifics of waste water management in smaller rural areas.
In addition to the technical part, thematic meetings were also organized, which included legal, engineering and technological aspects of managing wastewater treatment systems. These meetings enabled a detailed understanding of the functioning of the system from various aspects, which was beneficial for all participants of the study visit.
This study visit represents an important step in the improvement of cooperation between utility companies from Serbia and Montenegro, as well as in the implementation of new solutions for efficient waste water management. In addition, a platform was created for the future exchange of experiences and continued cooperation between experts in this field.
