Overview
Skebacks Avloppsreningsverk serves Örebro, Sweden, treating wastewater for approximately 155,800 people. The plant operates under Sweden's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Skebacks Avloppsreningsverk is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Örebro, Sweden, serving a population of around 155,800. The plant is situated in the Närke region, inland from the Baltic Sea coast. As a large agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), the plant is required to provide at least secondary treatment, with tertiary treatment expected if discharging into sensitive areas. Swedish regulations align with EU standards, ensuring robust treatment to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into the Svartån river, which flows into Lake Hjälmaren, Sweden's fourth-largest lake. Lake Hjälmaren drains via the Eskilstunaån river into Lake Mälaren, which ultimately connects to the Baltic Sea. This chain of water bodies supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional ecology and recreation.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Svartån river, a tributary of Lake Hjälmaren. Lake Hjälmaren is a large, shallow lake that supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish species like pike and perch, and serves as a habitat for waterfowl. The lake drains into Lake Mälaren, which flows into the Baltic Sea, making the plant's effluent quality critical for downstream water bodies and the sensitive Baltic marine environment.
Frequently asked questions
Skebacks Avloppsreningsverk is located in Örebro, Sweden, at Skebäcksvägen in the Rynninge district. It serves the Örebro municipality in Örebro län.
The plant serves approximately 155,800 people, classifying it as a large agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Treated wastewater from the plant is discharged into the Svartån river, which flows into Lake Hjälmaren, then via Eskilstunaån into Lake Mälaren, and ultimately to the Baltic Sea.
As a Swedish plant serving over 150,000 people, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment and potentially tertiary treatment in sensitive areas. Swedish environmental agencies enforce compliance.
Under the EU UWWTD, agglomerations over 150,000 population equivalent require at least secondary treatment. In Sweden, many such plants also employ tertiary treatment to reduce nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, protecting the sensitive Baltic Sea.
Nearby plants