Overview
UWWTP_RAKEK is a secondary treatment plant in Rakek, Cerknica, Slovenia, serving 161 people with a designed capacity of 500 m³/day and a discharge volume of 25.15 m³/day.
UWWTP_RAKEK is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Rakek, a settlement within the town of Cerknica in southwestern Slovenia. The plant serves a small population of 161 people, reflecting the rural character of the area. It is situated in the Inner Carniola region, known for its karst landscape and intermittent lakes. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 500 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 25.15 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating potential for future growth or seasonal variations. Secondary treatment typically involves biological oxidation and sedimentation. The treated effluent is discharged into the local karst hydrology, which ultimately drains into the Ljubljanica River basin and then to the Sava River, a major tributary of the Danube. The region is ecologically sensitive due to the presence of intermittent lakes and karst springs, which support diverse aquatic life and are important for groundwater recharge. The plant's operation helps protect these vulnerable water resources from nutrient pollution.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the karst watershed of the Ljubljanica River, which flows into the Sava River and eventually the Danube River, reaching the Black Sea. The area is characterized by intermittent lakes such as Lake Cerknica, a seasonal karst lake that supports a unique ecosystem of aquatic plants and migratory birds. The karst geology makes the groundwater particularly vulnerable to contamination, so the plant's secondary treatment is crucial for maintaining water quality in this sensitive environment.
Frequently asked questions
UWWTP_RAKEK is located in Rakek, a settlement within the town of Cerknica in southwestern Slovenia, in the Inner Carniola region.
The plant serves a population of 161 people, typical of a small rural agglomeration in Slovenia.
The treated wastewater is discharged into the local karst hydrology, which feeds into the Ljubljanica River basin, part of the Sava River catchment that drains into the Danube and ultimately the Black Sea.
The plant helps protect the Ljubljanica River and its tributaries, as well as the Sava River and the Danube River basin, by reducing nutrient and pollutant loads from wastewater.
As a Slovenian plant serving fewer than 2,000 people, it falls under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment (secondary or equivalent) for discharges into freshwater. Slovenia has designated sensitive areas, and the plant's secondary treatment meets the directive's standards for its size.
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