Overview
SIA Alba serves approximately 3,590 people in Stradu pagasts, Gulbenes novads, Latvia. The plant operates under EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this scale.
SIA Alba is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Stradu pagasts, Gulbenes novads, Latvia, serving a population of approximately 3,590. The facility is situated near the Margas area along the Rēzekne-Gulbene road, providing wastewater services to this rural community in the eastern part of the country. As a plant serving a population equivalent of about 3,590, SIA Alba falls under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which requires appropriate treatment for agglomerations above 2,000 population equivalent. For inland areas, secondary treatment is the standard requirement, ensuring that discharged water meets quality standards to protect the environment. The treated effluent from SIA Alba likely discharges into a local watercourse that drains into the Daugava River basin, which ultimately flows into the Baltic Sea via the Gulf of Riga. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting the region's surface waters from nutrient pollution and organic loading, supporting aquatic life and downstream ecosystems.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters a local stream within the Daugava River basin, which flows through eastern Latvia before reaching the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is a brackish, semi-enclosed sea sensitive to eutrophication from nutrient inputs. The plant's treatment helps reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads that could otherwise contribute to algal blooms and oxygen depletion in downstream waters.
Frequently asked questions
SIA Alba is located in Stradu pagasts, Gulbenes novads, Latvia, near the Margas area along the Rēzekne-Gulbene road.
SIA Alba serves approximately 3,590 people in the Stradu pagasts area of Gulbenes novads.
The treated effluent from SIA Alba is discharged into a local watercourse that is part of the Daugava River basin, which flows to the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea.
As a Latvian plant serving over 2,000 population equivalent, SIA Alba operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which requires secondary treatment for inland discharges.
For agglomerations of this size in Latvia, secondary treatment is standard under the EU UWWTD. This typically involves biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge.
Nearby plants