UWWTP_MEzICA - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Mežica, Slovenia

UWWTP_MEzICA is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Mežica, Slovenia, a town in the Carinthia region near the Austrian border. The plant serves a population of approximately 910 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Slovenian and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The designed capacity is 4,000 m³/day, with an actual discharge volume of about 891 m³/day, indicating operational headroom. Treated effluent from the plant is discharged into the Meža River, a tributary of the Drava River, which flows into the Danube and ultimately the Black Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the Meža River's water quality, supporting aquatic life and downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into the Meža River, which flows into the Drava River, a major tributary of the Danube. The Danube Basin is Europe's second-largest river basin, supporting diverse aquatic habitats and migratory fish species. The Meža River itself is a salmonid water body, sensitive to organic pollution, making secondary treatment essential for maintaining ecological balance.