Wapienne Wastewater Treatment Plant, Męcina Wielka, Małopolskie

The Wapienne wastewater treatment plant is located in the village of Kobylanka, part of the Męcina Wielka administrative area in gmina Sękowa, powiat gorlicki, województwo małopolskie, Poland. It serves a population of 640, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Polish and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for discharges into freshwater and estuaries from agglomerations of this size. Its designed capacity is 2000 m³/day, with an average daily discharge volume of 91.25 m³, indicating significant spare capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Wisłoka River, a tributary of the Vistula River, which flows into the Baltic Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the local watershed and downstream aquatic ecosystems from untreated sewage.

The plant discharges into small streams in the mountainous region of the Małopolskie Voivodeship, which flow into the Wisłoka River. The Wisłoka joins the Vistula River, the longest river in Poland, which empties into the Baltic Sea via the Gdańsk Bay. The surrounding area is part of the Carpathian foothills, supporting diverse aquatic life and serving as an important corridor for migratory fish species. Protecting water quality here helps maintain the ecological health of the Vistula basin and the Baltic Sea.