Overview
UWWTP Ilirska Bistrica serves the town of Ilirska Bistrica in southwestern Slovenia, treating wastewater from a population of 2,350. The plant discharges into the local watershed, which drains toward the Adriatic Sea.
UWWTP Ilirska Bistrica is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the settlement of Brce, near Ilirska Bistrica in southwestern Slovenia. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,350 people, placing it in the small-agglomeration category under Slovenian and EU regulations. Its designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day or population equivalent), indicating a facility sized for the local community. As a Slovenian plant, UWWTP Ilirska Bistrica operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size discharging into freshwater. Slovenian law transposes the directive, mandating appropriate treatment to protect receiving waters. The facility is likely subject to national permits issued by the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO). The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the local hydrological network, which ultimately flows into the Adriatic Sea via the Reka River system and the Gulf of Trieste. The region is characterized by karst topography, where groundwater and surface waters are closely interconnected, making proper treatment essential for protecting both local water resources and the sensitive coastal environment of the northern Adriatic.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Reka River basin, a karst river system that sinks underground near Škocjan before resurging as the Timavo River in Italy and flowing into the Gulf of Trieste (Adriatic Sea). This underground connection makes the watershed highly sensitive to pollution, as contaminants can travel rapidly through karst conduits. The northern Adriatic is a semi-enclosed sea with limited water exchange, requiring strict nutrient control to prevent eutrophication. The plant's location in a karst region underscores the importance of effective wastewater treatment to protect groundwater quality and downstream marine ecosystems.
Frequently asked questions
UWWTP Ilirska Bistrica is located in the settlement of Brce, near the town of Ilirska Bistrica in southwestern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia.
The plant serves approximately 2,350 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU wastewater treatment regulations.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the local karst river system, which flows into the Reka River basin and ultimately reaches the Adriatic Sea via the Timavo River in Italy.
As a Slovenian plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. National permits are issued by the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO).
Under the EU UWWTD, plants serving between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent (PE) in freshwater areas typically require secondary treatment. Slovenian regulations align with this, ensuring adequate biological treatment to protect sensitive karst watersheds.
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