Stare Pole Wastewater Treatment Plant | Secondary Treatment in Northern Poland

The Stare Pole wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Stare Pole, in the powiat malborski of northern Poland. It serves a population of 2,457, making it a small agglomeration under Polish and EU classifications. The plant is situated in the Żuławy region, a low-lying delta area near the Vistula River. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,939 m³/day and currently discharges 350.33 m³/day of treated wastewater. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Vistula River delta and then into the Baltic Sea. The Żuławy region is an ecologically sensitive area with extensive wetlands and drainage canals. Proper wastewater treatment is essential to protect the water quality of the Vistula Lagoon and the Baltic Sea from nutrient pollution.

The plant discharges into the drainage network of the Vistula River delta, which flows into the Vistula Lagoon and then the Baltic Sea. The Żuławy region is a low-lying polder landscape with complex hydrology, supporting diverse aquatic habitats and migratory bird species. Nutrient loading from wastewater can contribute to eutrophication in the Baltic Sea, making effective treatment critical for downstream marine health.