COV Spisske Bystre Wastewater Treatment Plant, Spišské Bystré, Slovakia

COV Spisske Bystre is a wastewater treatment plant located in Spišské Bystré, a village in the Prešovský kraj region of Slovakia. The plant serves a small population of 176 residents and is part of the municipal infrastructure for the area. It operates under Slovak and EU regulations for wastewater treatment. The plant provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 2300 m³/day, the plant is sized to handle future growth or seasonal variations. The actual discharge volume is 36.02 m³/day, indicating low utilization relative to capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Hornád River basin. The Hornád River flows through eastern Slovakia and joins the Slaná River before reaching the Tisza River and eventually the Danube. The advanced treatment helps protect the water quality of these downstream water bodies, supporting aquatic life and ecosystem health.

The plant discharges into the Hornád River basin, which flows through the Spiš region and joins the Slaná River, a tributary of the Tisza River. The Tisza flows into the Danube, which reaches the Black Sea. The watershed supports diverse aquatic habitats and is important for regional biodiversity. Advanced treatment reduces nutrient loads and pollutants, helping to maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive area.