COV Jelsava Wastewater Treatment Plant, Jelšava, Slovakia

COV Jelsava is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Jelšava, a town in the Revúca District of the Banskobystrický kraj region in central Slovakia. The plant serves a population of approximately 684 residents and has a designed capacity of 3,083 cubic meters per day, with a current discharge volume of about 140 cubic meters per day. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. As a facility in Slovakia, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment levels based on the sensitivity of receiving waters and agglomeration size. For small agglomerations like Jelšava, advanced treatment is often implemented to protect local water quality. The treated effluent from COV Jelsava is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Slaná River, a tributary of the Tisza River, which flows into the Danube and then the Black Sea. The plant plays a key role in safeguarding the ecological health of the Slaná River basin, supporting aquatic life and downstream water quality.

COV Jelsava discharges into the Slaná River basin, which flows into the Tisza River, a major tributary of the Danube. The Danube eventually reaches the Black Sea. The Slaná River supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and is important for regional biodiversity. The advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading, protecting downstream waters from eutrophication and maintaining ecological balance.