COV Protivin Wastewater Treatment Plant, Protivín, Czech Republic

COV Protivin is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Protivín, a town in the Jihočeský kraj (South Bohemian Region) of the Czech Republic. The plant serves a population of approximately 15,316 people and has a designed capacity of 49,200 cubic meters, indicating it is sized to accommodate future growth or industrial loads. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive mandates secondary biological treatment for populations between 10,000 and 150,000, ensuring effective removal of organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's discharge volume of 974.05 cubic meters reflects its operational throughput. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Vltava River basin, a major tributary of the Elbe River, which flows into the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the region's rivers and downstream ecosystems, supporting aquatic life and recreational uses.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Vltava River, which flows through the South Bohemian region and joins the Elbe River before reaching the North Sea. The Vltava basin supports diverse aquatic habitats and is important for fish migration and water supply. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads, protecting downstream water bodies from eutrophication.