Overview
Siófok Szennyvíztisztító Telep serves 83,681 people in Siófok, Hungary, discharging treated wastewater into the Sió River, a tributary of Lake Balaton. The plant operates under Hungary's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Siófok Szennyvíztisztító Telep is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Siófok, a city on the southern shore of Lake Balaton in Hungary's Dél-Dunántúl region. With a population served of 83,681, it is classified as a medium-to-large agglomeration under EU standards, serving the urban area and surrounding communities. As a plant in an EU member state, it is subject to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day), indicating it is sized to handle the wastewater load from the local population and seasonal tourist influx. The treated effluent is discharged into the Sió River, which flows from Lake Balaton and eventually joins the Danube River, ultimately reaching the Black Sea. The plant plays a critical role in protecting Lake Balaton, Central Europe's largest lake and a major ecological and recreational resource, from nutrient pollution and eutrophication.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Sió River, the sole outflow of Lake Balaton, which drains via the Danube into the Black Sea. Lake Balaton is a shallow, nutrient-sensitive lake that supports diverse aquatic life and is a key migratory stopover for birds. Protecting its water quality from excessive nitrogen and phosphorus is essential to prevent algal blooms and maintain ecological balance.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Siófok, a city on the southern shore of Lake Balaton in Somogy county, Hungary. Its address is Zúgó sor, Belváros, Siófok.
The plant serves approximately 83,681 people, covering the urban population of Siófok and likely seasonal tourists visiting Lake Balaton.
Treated effluent is discharged into the Sió River, which is the only outflow of Lake Balaton. The Sió River flows into the Danube, which ultimately reaches the Black Sea.
As a Hungarian plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations over 10,000 population equivalent and more stringent treatment in sensitive areas like the Lake Balaton catchment.
Under the EU directive, plants serving over 10,000 people require secondary treatment (biological treatment). In sensitive areas like the Lake Balaton region, tertiary treatment for nutrient removal is often required to prevent eutrophication.
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