COV Kralovice Wastewater Treatment Plant, Kralovice, Czech Republic

COV Kralovice is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the town of Kralovice, within the Plzeňský kraj region of the Czech Republic. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,345 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU UWWTD for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 9,900 cubic meters per day and an average daily discharge volume of 835.87 cubic meters, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Berounka River, a tributary of the Vltava River, which flows into the Elbe River and eventually reaches the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of these downstream rivers and the broader Elbe basin ecosystem.

The plant's discharge enters a small stream that feeds into the Berounka River, a major tributary of the Vltava. The Vltava flows through Prague and joins the Elbe, which drains into the North Sea. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important corridor for migratory fish species. The region's moderate climate and agricultural land use mean that nutrient loading from wastewater must be carefully managed to prevent eutrophication in downstream water bodies.