ROWP CERBU Wastewater Treatment Plant, Copălău, Botoșani, Romania

ROWP CERBU is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Copălău, Botoșani County, Romania. The facility serves a small population of 210 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic pollutants before discharge. With a designed capacity of 810 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 54.80 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), small agglomerations like this are required to provide appropriate treatment, and secondary treatment meets the directive's standards for inland freshwater discharges. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Jijia River, a tributary of the Prut River, which ultimately flows into the Danube River and the Black Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the local watershed and downstream ecosystems from untreated sewage.

The plant discharges into the Jijia River basin, which flows into the Prut River and then the Danube, reaching the Black Sea. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a larger ecological network. The secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and organic pollution, safeguarding water quality in the downstream rivers and the Black Sea coastal zone.