Overview
Hydrocentrum is a closed secondary treatment plant in Małe Łąki, Poland, serving 587 people. It discharged 83.70 m³/day with a designed capacity of 4,000 m³/day.
Hydrocentrum is a wastewater treatment plant located in Małe Łąki, within the Mazowieckie Voivodeship of Poland. It served a small population of 587 people before its closure. The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under Polish regulations for agglomerations of this size. The plant had a designed capacity of 4,000 m³/day and discharged an average volume of 83.70 m³/day. As a closed facility, it is no longer operational. In Poland, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under national law transposing the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for inland agglomerations with a population equivalent above 2,000. The plant's discharge likely entered local surface waters within the Vistula River basin, which drains into the Baltic Sea. The region is characterized by agricultural and forested areas, and proper wastewater treatment is essential to protect downstream water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
Environmental context
The plant is located inland in central Poland, within the Vistula River basin. Treated effluent would have flowed into local streams and eventually the Vistula River, which discharges into the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is a sensitive brackish water body vulnerable to eutrophication from nutrient pollution, making effective wastewater treatment critical for protecting marine ecosystems.
Frequently asked questions
Hydrocentrum is located in Małe Łąki, a village in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship of central Poland.
The plant served a population of 587 people before its closure.
The plant discharged treated effluent at an average volume of 83.70 m³/day into local surface waters within the Vistula River basin.
Hydrocentrum provided secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under Polish regulations for small agglomerations.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), secondary treatment is mandatory for inland agglomerations with a population equivalent above 2,000. Although Hydrocentrum served fewer than 2,000 people, it still provided secondary treatment, reflecting good environmental practice.
Nearby plants