Wastewater
Production processes run at our plants involve the generation of wastewater, which is classified as the following three types: process wastewater, sanitary sewage and spent cooling water.
Production processes run at our plants involve the generation of wastewater, which is classified as the following three types: process wastewater, sanitary sewage and spent cooling water.
At Grupa Azoty S.A., industrial wastewater is routed for treatment via an underground industrial sewer system and sewer lines. Depending on its specific features, industrial wastewater is sent to the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (process wastewater and sanitary sewage) or Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant (process wastewater containing biologically degradable substances). Stormwater and spent cooling water from Grupa Azoty S.A.’s premises is drained separately, through a collector, and then discharged into the Dunajec river. Relevant parameters of the industrial wastewater are monitored at individual system nodes with remote analysers. Wastewater samples are regularly laboratory-tested for pollutants. The Company has also made risk analyses the purposes of protection of surface and drinking water intake points to determine if there is a need to designate an indirect protection zone for them.
BEST PRACTICE
Group Azoty S.A. is well prepared for any wastewater system failure. In order to prevent wastewater escape, the system can be entirely shut off by closing the storm water outflow valve and pumping all wastewater to the central treatment plant. It is also possible to direct the entire volume of wastewater generated by Grupa Azoty S.A. to the wastewater treatment facility operated by the Tarnów Water and Sewage Utility.
At Grupa Azoty Police, industrial (process) wastewater is treated at the Company Wastewater Treatment Plant. Spent cooling water and stormwater from the plant are discharged directly into the surface waters of the Oder river. Spent cooling water undergoes regular automatic pH monitoring. Industrial wastewater, leachate from the phosphogypsum landfill site, leachate from the iron sulfate landfill site, sanitary sewage, and municipal wastewater from the town of Police are treated at the company’s collective mechanical and chemical wastewater treatment plant. Monitoring of the wastewater after treatment is carried out in accordance with the terms of the integrated permit and the quality of discharged wastewater is measured regularly by an accredited laboratory. The Company meets all requirements relating to the discharged wastewater volumes and the pollutant limits.
At Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn, wastewater is directed to a multi-stage wastewater treatment system consisting of local pretreatment facilities, the Central Mechanical Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Central Mechanical and Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Piskorzowiec Treatment Plant. The treated wastewater is discharged into the Oder River. The most recent upgrade (completed in 2018) helped improve the nitrification and denitrification process – a unique wastewater heating unit makes it possible to achieve high efficiency of nitrogen removal processes, including in winter. The upgrade also included replacement of the fine bubble submerged aeration system, replacement of air blowers and of the automatic control system for the oxygen dosing process. In Kędzierzyn, wastewater is thoroughly monitored both at the stage of its generation in individual units and at the time of discharge to the receiving waters. In 2020, no wastewater quality parameter was exceeded.
Grupa Azoty Puławy uses significant amounts of water in its production processes, which generate wastewater streams of various quantity and quality, containing industrial wastewater, sanitary sewage and spent cooling water from the CHP plant cooling processes. The company’s wastewater system also receives municipal wastewater from the city of Puławy, treated by the Puławy Water and Sewage Utility, as well as wastewater from third parties. The first component of the company’s wastewater system is pretreatment facilities located at individual units. The central wastewater treatment system is built as a multi-unit system, which comprises the Biological Blackwater Treatment Unit, the Biological Wastewater Treatment Unit and the Central Industrial Wastewater Treatment Unit. The last element of the system is the tertiary biological treatment unit (pond), where natural biological and physico-chemical processes of self-purification from nitrogen and organic compounds occur. After tertiary treatment, the wastewater is discharged into the Vistula river.
The existing wastewater treatment system does not guarantee compliance with the requirements of the BAT conclusions. Grupa Azoty Puławy commenced work to improve the wastewater treatment system’s efficiency by building a new Central Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant. Given the complexity of the project, it could not be completed before the entry into force of the BAT conclusions. The Company has been granted a temporary derogation from BAT conclusions for the purpose of completing the work. The quantity and quality of water withdrawn and discharged is monitored in accordance with the provisions of the integrated permit.
