COV Horka Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hôrka, Prešovský kraj, Slovakia

COV Horka is a wastewater treatment facility located in the village of Hôrka, within the Poprad district of Prešovský kraj in eastern Slovakia. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,114 residents, making it a small-scale municipal treatment facility in the region. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, ensuring a high level of pollutant removal before discharge. With a designed capacity of 4,162 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 432.64 m³/day, the facility operates well below its maximum capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a Slovak plant, it operates under national regulations that transpose the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which mandates appropriate treatment for agglomerations of this size. The treated effluent from COV Horka is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Poprad River basin. This river flows northward into Poland, eventually reaching the Baltic Sea. The advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and supports water quality in the region.

The plant discharges into the Poprad River basin, which flows through the Tatra Mountains foothills and into Poland, joining the Dunajec River and eventually the Vistula River before reaching the Baltic Sea. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is ecologically sensitive due to its mountainous character and importance for migratory fish species. Advanced treatment at COV Horka helps minimize nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream habitats.