Borek Wastewater Treatment Plant: Secondary Treatment in Małopolskie, Poland

Borek is a wastewater treatment plant located in the village of Borek, within gmina Rzezawa, powiat bocheński, województwo małopolskie, Poland. The facility serves a population of 1,821, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Polish and EU regulations. It operates secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for inland freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,750 m³/day and treats an annual wastewater volume of 259.65 thousand m³. As a secondary treatment facility, it removes organic matter and suspended solids through biological processes, meeting the effluent quality standards set by Polish environmental law and the EU directive. The plant's operational status is active, contributing to the local sanitation infrastructure. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Vistula River basin, which flows northward into the Baltic Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the region's surface waters from untreated sewage, supporting aquatic life and downstream water quality in the Vistula catchment.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Raba River, which is part of the upper Vistula River basin. The Vistula flows through southern and central Poland before reaching the Baltic Sea via the Gulf of Gdańsk. The catchment supports diverse freshwater habitats, including fish spawning grounds and riparian ecosystems. Secondary treatment reduces organic pollution, helping to maintain oxygen levels and prevent eutrophication in downstream waters.