Gruszow Wastewater Treatment Plant, Biórków Mały, Lesser Poland

The Gruszow wastewater treatment plant is located in Biórków Mały, a village in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (województwo małopolskie) of southern Poland. This small-scale facility serves a population of 602, reflecting its role in rural wastewater management within the gmina of Koniusza. As a secondary treatment plant, Gruszow meets the standard required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations under 2,000 population equivalent. The plant's designed capacity of 198 m³/day and actual discharge volume of 85.84 m³/day indicate operational headroom for current loads. Polish wastewater facilities are regulated by the National Water Management Authority (PGW Wody Polskie) under national implementation of EU directives. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Vistula River basin, which flows northward to the Baltic Sea. This inland location, over 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact but requires careful management to protect local streams and groundwater in the agricultural landscape of the Proszowice region.

The plant discharges into small tributaries of the Szreniawa River, part of the upper Vistula basin. These waters flow through agricultural areas before reaching the Vistula and eventually the Baltic Sea. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for maintaining water quality in a region dominated by farming, where nutrient runoff is a concern.