COV Nalepkovo Wastewater Treatment Plant, Nálepkovo, Slovakia

COV Nalepkovo is a wastewater treatment plant located in Nálepkovo, a village in the Gelnica District of the Košický kraj region in eastern Slovakia. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,928 residents, providing essential sanitation infrastructure for this small community. It operates as a secondary treatment facility, which is the standard level required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,200 m³/day and currently discharges an average of 394.57 m³/day of treated wastewater. As a secondary treatment plant, it uses biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the effluent quality standards set by Slovak and EU regulations. The facility is operated as part of the municipal wastewater system, ensuring compliance with national environmental permits. The treated effluent from COV Nalepkovo is discharged into local watercourses that flow into the Hornád River basin, which ultimately drains into the Tisza River and then the Danube River before reaching the Black Sea. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting the water quality of these downstream ecosystems, particularly the Hornád River, which supports diverse aquatic life and is used for recreation and water supply.

COV Nalepkovo discharges treated wastewater into local streams that feed into the Hornád River, a major tributary of the Tisza River. The Hornád River flows through the Slovak Paradise National Park region, supporting diverse aquatic habitats and migratory fish species. The treated effluent eventually reaches the Danube River and the Black Sea, making the plant's performance important for downstream water quality in this transboundary basin.