Wielki Wygon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Stary Sącz, Małopolskie

Wielki Wygon is a wastewater treatment plant located in Stary Sącz, a town in the Małopolskie voivodeship of southern Poland. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,482 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Polish and EU regulations. It is situated in the scenic region near the Poprad River valley, within the Carpathian foothills. The plant operates with 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 involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's designed capacity is 1,635 cubic meters per day, and it currently discharges an average volume of 353.89 cubic meters per day, indicating it operates well below its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into local surface waters that eventually drain into the Poprad River, a tributary of the Dunajec, which flows into the Vistula River and ultimately the Baltic Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of these rivers and the downstream environment, supporting aquatic life and recreational uses in the region.

The plant discharges into local streams that feed the Poprad River, a major Carpathian watercourse. The Poprad flows through the picturesque Poprad Landscape Park before joining the Dunajec River, which is part of the Vistula basin. This watershed supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish species such as brown trout and grayling. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in the Baltic Sea, the ultimate destination of its discharge.