Overview
GOS Żarki is an advanced wastewater treatment plant in Żarki, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, serving a population of 2,013. It discharges 287.02 m³/day of treated effluent into local waterways.
GOS Żarki is an advanced wastewater treatment facility located in the town of Żarki, within the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,013 residents, making it a small-scale municipal treatment facility. Its location in the historic region of Upper Silesia places it within a densely populated and industrially developed area. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 4,970 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 287.02 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The plant is regulated under Polish national law, which transposes EU directives, ensuring compliance with stringent effluent quality standards. The treated wastewater from GOS Żarki is discharged into local rivers that ultimately drain into the Vistula River basin, the largest river system in Poland. The Vistula flows northward into the Baltic Sea, making the plant's operations relevant to the ecological health of both regional streams and the broader Baltic marine environment. The advanced treatment level helps protect downstream aquatic habitats and supports water quality in the catchment.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into tributaries of the Warta River, which is part of the Oder River basin. The Oder flows into the Baltic Sea via the Szczecin Lagoon. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as pike and perch, and provides important ecosystem services for the region. The advanced treatment level helps minimize nutrient loading and protects the ecological integrity of downstream water bodies.
Frequently asked questions
GOS Żarki is located in the town of Żarki, in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland. The plant serves the local community and is situated in a region with a mix of urban and industrial areas.
The plant serves a population of 2,013 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU wastewater treatment directives.
The treated wastewater is discharged into local watercourses that are part of the Warta River basin, which flows into the Oder River and eventually reaches the Baltic Sea.
GOS Żarki provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for small agglomerations. This helps reduce nutrients and protect sensitive water bodies.
As a Polish plant, GOS Żarki operates under national regulations that implement the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For small agglomerations like this, the directive requires secondary treatment, but the plant exceeds this with advanced treatment.
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