Rownie Wastewater Treatment Plant, Biała Niżna, Poland

Rownie wastewater treatment plant is located in Biała Niżna, a village in the małopolskie province of southern Poland. The plant serves a population of 1,438, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Polish and EU regulations. It operates secondary treatment, which is the minimum required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for settlements of this size discharging into freshwater. The plant has a designed capacity of 6,958 m³/day and currently treats 205.04 m³/day, indicating significant spare capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, it removes organic matter and suspended solids but does not include nutrient removal, which is typically required for larger agglomerations or discharges into sensitive areas. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Dunajec River, a tributary of the Vistula River, which flows into the Baltic Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality in the Carpathian foothills region, supporting aquatic life and downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into a local stream that feeds into the Dunajec River, a major tributary of the Vistula River. The Vistula flows northward through Poland and empties into the Baltic Sea near Gdańsk. The Dunajec River supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as brown trout and grayling, and its valley is an important ecological corridor in the Carpathian region.