Orzechowce Wastewater Treatment Plant, Podkarpackie, Poland

The Orzechowce wastewater treatment plant is located in the village of Orzechowce, within gmina Żurawica, powiat przemyski, in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship of southeastern Poland. This small-scale facility serves a population of 243 residents, reflecting its role in rural wastewater management. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The designed capacity is 3750 m³/day, while the current discharge volume is 34.65 m³/day, indicating ample reserve capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the San River basin, a tributary of the Vistula River, which flows into the Baltic Sea. The plant helps protect the region's surface water quality and supports the ecological health of the downstream aquatic environment.

The plant discharges into local streams that feed into the San River, a major right-bank tributary of the Vistula. The Vistula flows northward through Poland into the Baltic Sea via the Gulf of Gdańsk. The San River valley supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the Carpathian foothills region. Secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants and nutrients, helping to maintain water quality in this sensitive watershed.