Overview
Swarzewo wastewater treatment plant serves Władysławowo, Poland, with a population equivalent of 59,693. The plant is located near the Baltic Sea coast and operates under EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive requirements.
The Swarzewo wastewater treatment plant is a municipal facility serving the town of Władysławowo in the Puck County of northern Poland. With a population equivalent of 59,693, it is classified as a medium-sized agglomeration under Polish and EU regulations. The plant is situated near the Baltic Sea coast, approximately 50 km from the open sea, making its discharge location environmentally sensitive. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations of this size are required to provide at least secondary treatment, with more stringent tertiary treatment if discharging into sensitive areas. The Baltic Sea region is designated as a sensitive area under the Helsinki Convention (HELCOM), which mandates nutrient removal to combat eutrophication. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day), indicating it is sized to handle the local population's wastewater. The treated effluent from Swarzewo ultimately drains into the Baltic Sea via local watercourses. The Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea with limited water exchange, making it highly vulnerable to nutrient pollution. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting the coastal ecosystem, including the nearby Hel Peninsula and Puck Bay, which support diverse marine life and are important for tourism and fisheries.
Environmental context
The Swarzewo plant discharges into the Baltic Sea basin, specifically affecting the Puck Bay area. The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed sea with low salinity and slow water renewal, making it prone to eutrophication from nutrient inputs. The local watershed includes small coastal rivers and streams that flow into the bay, which supports important fish spawning grounds and migratory bird habitats. Effective wastewater treatment is critical to maintaining water quality in this ecologically sensitive coastal region.
Frequently asked questions
The Swarzewo treatment plant is located in Władysławowo, Puck County, in northern Poland, near the Baltic Sea coast.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 59,693 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated effluent from Swarzewo is discharged into local watercourses that flow into the Baltic Sea, specifically into the Puck Bay area.
As a Polish plant serving over 10,000 people, Swarzewo operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment and, due to the Baltic Sea's sensitive status, likely nutrient removal.
For agglomerations of this size in Poland, standard practice includes mechanical-biological treatment with nutrient removal, especially in coastal areas like the Baltic Sea region, to meet EU and HELCOM requirements.
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