ROWP SC CAPOLES SERV SRL Barcanesti Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cătunu, Prahova, Romania

ROWP SC CAPOLES SERV SRL Barcanesti is a wastewater treatment plant located in Cătunu, a locality in Bărcănești commune, Prahova County, Romania. The plant serves a small population of 650 people, reflecting its role in a rural or peri-urban setting. It operates under Romanian environmental regulations, which transpose the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for small agglomerations. The plant provides primary treatment, which involves physical processes such as sedimentation to remove settleable solids. With a designed capacity of 500 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 25.23 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating potential for future growth or seasonal variations. For small agglomerations under 2,000 population equivalent, the EU directive requires appropriate treatment, which may include primary treatment if the receiving water body is not sensitive. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Prahova River, a tributary of the Ialomița River, which flows into the Danube River and ultimately the Black Sea. The plant's location inland, away from coastal areas, reduces direct marine impact. The local watershed supports agricultural and ecological functions, and the plant's primary treatment helps reduce pollutant loads before discharge.

The plant discharges into local streams that feed into the Prahova River, part of the Danube basin. The Prahova River flows southward through the Romanian Plain, supporting diverse aquatic life and agricultural irrigation. Downstream, the Ialomița River joins the Danube, which empties into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta, a ecologically sensitive area. The plant's primary treatment reduces suspended solids but provides limited nutrient removal, which may affect local water quality in the small receiving streams.