ROWP Lunca Ilvei Wastewater Treatment Plant - Lunca Ilvei, Bistrița-Năsăud, Romania

ROWP Lunca Ilvei is a wastewater treatment plant located on Strada Granicerilor in Lunca Ilvei, Bistrița-Năsăud County, Romania. It serves a small population of 41 residents, reflecting the rural character of the area. The plant is situated inland, far from the coast, and its operations are part of the municipal infrastructure for this commune. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 10,000. Although the population served is below this threshold, the plant's design capacity of 4,000 m³/day suggests it may also handle industrial or seasonal loads. The actual discharge volume is 160.19 m³/day, indicating low utilization. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Someș River basin, which flows through northwestern Romania into Hungary and joins the Tisza River, a tributary of the Danube. The plant helps protect the water quality of these downstream ecosystems, which support diverse aquatic life and are important for regional biodiversity.

The plant discharges into the Someș River basin, which flows into the Tisza River and then the Danube, eventually reaching the Black Sea. This watershed supports diverse aquatic habitats and is ecologically sensitive, particularly in the lower reaches where wetlands and floodplains provide critical ecosystem services. The secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping to maintain water quality standards under the EU Water Framework Directive.