UWWTP_SENTJERNEJ - Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Smalčja vas, Slovenia

UWWTP_SENTJERNEJ is an advanced wastewater treatment facility located in Smalčja vas, a settlement within the municipality of Šentjernej in southeastern Slovenia. The plant serves a population equivalent of 2,224, making it a small-scale municipal treatment facility. It is situated inland, away from coastal areas, and discharges treated effluent into the local water system. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 3,000 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 468.49 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The plant is part of Slovenia's national wastewater infrastructure, which is regulated under the EU directive and national water protection laws. The treated effluent from UWWTP_SENTJERNEJ is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Krka River, a tributary of the Sava River, which flows into the Danube and ultimately the Black Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the Krka River basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and is used for recreation and agriculture. Its advanced treatment ensures high-quality effluent, minimizing nutrient loading and safeguarding downstream ecosystems.

UWWTP_SENTJERNEJ discharges into a local stream that flows into the Krka River, a major watercourse in southeastern Slovenia. The Krka River is part of the Sava River basin, which drains into the Danube and eventually the Black Sea. The Krka River supports diverse aquatic habitats and is an important ecological corridor for fish and bird species. The plant's advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting water quality in this sensitive river system.