Overview
Opole wastewater treatment plant serves the city of Opole in województwo opolskie, Poland. It treats wastewater for a population of approximately 172,055 under EU regulatory standards.
The Opole wastewater treatment plant is located in Opole, województwo opolskie, Poland, serving a population of around 172,055. As a major municipal facility, it plays a key role in managing wastewater for this urban center in the Opole region. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), plants serving agglomerations over 150,000 population equivalent (PE) are classified as large agglomerations and are required to provide secondary treatment, with tertiary treatment in sensitive areas. The Opole plant operates within this framework, ensuring compliance with EU standards for nutrient removal and effluent quality. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the Oder River basin, which flows northward through Poland and ultimately into the Baltic Sea via the Szczecin Lagoon. This discharge supports the ecological health of the Oder River and its downstream environments, including the lagoon and Baltic coastal waters.
Environmental context
The Opole plant discharges into the Oder River basin, which drains into the Baltic Sea through the Szczecin Lagoon. The Oder River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish species. The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed sea sensitive to nutrient pollution, making effective wastewater treatment critical for preventing eutrophication and maintaining water quality in downstream ecosystems.
Frequently asked questions
The Opole wastewater treatment plant is located at 62 Wrocławska Street in the Nadodrze district of Opole, within the województwo opolskie region of Poland.
The plant serves a population of approximately 172,055 people, making it a large agglomeration under EU classification.
The treated effluent from the Opole plant is discharged into the Oder River basin, which flows northward to the Baltic Sea via the Szczecin Lagoon.
As a plant serving over 150,000 population equivalent, the Opole plant is classified as a large agglomeration under the EU UWWTD (91/271/EEC). It is required to provide at least secondary treatment, with tertiary treatment if the receiving waters are sensitive to nutrient pollution.
For large agglomerations in Poland, typical treatment includes secondary biological treatment and often tertiary nutrient removal to meet EU standards, especially when discharging into sensitive water bodies like the Oder River basin.
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