LEMNA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Kargowa, Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland

LEMNA is a wastewater treatment plant located near Kargowa in the Lubusz Voivodeship of western Poland. It serves a population of approximately 4,741 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under Polish and EU regulations. The plant is situated in a rural area within the Oder River basin. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Its designed capacity is 9,000 m³/day, with a reported discharge volume of 675.99 m³/day, indicating operational headroom. As a Polish facility, it operates under national water law implementing EU directives, with permits issued by the Regional Water Management Authority (RZGW). The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Oder River, which flows north to the Szczecin Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the Oder basin from nutrient pollution, supporting aquatic ecosystems and downstream water quality in the Baltic Sea region.

The plant discharges into small streams within the Oder River basin, which flows through western Poland to the Szczecin Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. The Oder is a major European river supporting diverse fish species and migratory birds. The region's agricultural land use makes nutrient removal important to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters. The Baltic Sea is particularly sensitive to nitrogen and phosphorus loads, so secondary treatment helps reduce the plant's contribution to algal blooms.