COV Tatranska Lomnica Wastewater Treatment Plant, Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia

COV Tatranska Lomnica is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the Tatranské Matliare area of Vysoké Tatry, in the Prešovský kraj region of eastern Slovakia. The plant serves a population of 2,107, placing it in the small agglomeration category under EU regulations. It discharges an average of 431.21 cubic meters of treated wastewater per day. As a secondary treatment facility, COV Tatranska Lomnica provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 6,965 m³/day, indicating significant headroom for future growth. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), small agglomerations like this are required to have appropriate treatment, and secondary treatment meets the standard for freshwater discharges. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Poprad River and then to the Dunajec River, a tributary of the Vistula River flowing into the Baltic Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the High Tatras region, a sensitive alpine environment that supports diverse aquatic life and is an important tourist destination.

The plant discharges into the Poprad River basin, which flows through the Tatra Mountains and eventually joins the Dunajec River, a major tributary of the Vistula River that reaches the Baltic Sea. The High Tatras region is ecologically sensitive, supporting unique alpine flora and fauna, and the river system provides critical habitat for fish species such as brown trout and grayling. Protecting water quality is essential for maintaining the ecological balance of this mountainous watershed and the downstream ecosystems.