Stary Brzesc Wastewater Treatment Plant, Brześć Kujawski, Poland

The Stary Brzesc wastewater treatment plant is located in Brześć Kujawski, in the kujawsko-pomorskie province of Poland. It serves a population of 2,664, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Polish and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for inland freshwater discharges from settlements of this size. With a designed capacity of 9,600 cubic meters per day and an actual discharge volume of 379.85 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well below its capacity. This suggests it is designed to accommodate future population growth or seasonal variations. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant discharges treated wastewater into a local watercourse, which ultimately drains into the Vistula River basin and then into the Baltic Sea. The receiving water body is not named in available data, but the region's hydrology is part of the Vistula catchment. The plant plays a role in protecting local water quality and the downstream aquatic environment, including the Baltic Sea ecosystem.

The Stary Brzesc plant discharges into a local watercourse that flows into the Vistula River, Poland's largest river, which empties into the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed, brackish sea with limited water exchange, making it sensitive to nutrient pollution. Secondary treatment at this plant helps reduce organic loads and nutrients, contributing to the health of the Vistula basin and the Baltic Sea's fragile ecosystem, which supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish.