Zurawica Wastewater Treatment Plant, Żurawica, Poland

The Zurawica wastewater treatment plant is located in Żurawica, a village in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship of southeastern Poland. The facility serves a population of approximately 2,127 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Polish and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 5,000 m³/day and an average daily discharge of 303.28 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the San 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 pollution.

The plant's discharge enters the local drainage network, which feeds into the San River, a major tributary of the Vistula River. The Vistula flows northward through Poland and empties into the Baltic Sea via the Vistula Lagoon. The region's watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for migratory fish species. The secondary treatment provided by the plant helps reduce organic load and nutrients, mitigating eutrophication risks in downstream waters.