Wastewater

Grupa Azoty S.A.

The company generates spent cooling water, industrial wastewater and sanitary sewage. The spent cooling water and stormwater are discharged into receiving waters. The industrial wastewater and sanitary sewage are first directed to treatment facilities and then to receiving waters or external recipients.

Grupa Azoty Puławy

Wastewater is transferred to treatment facilities, which comprise a multi-unit system relying on different technologies for specific types of wastewater. The system consists of: 

• the biological blackwater treatment unit (BOŚF), 
• the biological wastewater treatment unit (BOŚ), 
• the central industrial wastewater treatment unit (COŚP), 
• the tertiary biological treatment unit (pond). 

The discharge channel functions as a collector of the entire wastewater system. It is an open channel which collects wastewater treated at individual sections of the wastewater treatment system, as well as wastewater from other production units or auxiliary facilities and from third parties. The wastewater is transported through the discharge channel to the tertiary biological treatment unit (pond), and afterwards is discharged into the Vistula River.

The quality of wastewater is monitored in accordance with the provisions of the integrated pollution prevention and control permit. The volume of discharged wastewater is measured on a continuous basis, while the quality of wastewater is examined by an accredited laboratory at intervals specified in the company’s integrated pollution prevention and control permit.

Grupa Azoty Police

Industrial wastewater is directed to the on-site mechanical and chemical treatment facility. The flow-through wastewater treatment technology applied at Grupa Azoty Zakłady Chemiczne POLICE S.A. consists in wastewater neutralisation using the milk of lime solution with its simultaneous mixing and aerating. The addition of iron (II) sulfate contained in the raw wastewater (leachate from the iron (II) sulfate landfill site) as a coagulant and flocculant accelerates the separation and sedimentation of sludge. Following sediment separation, the treated wastewater is transported through pumping stations or gravitationally into pressure-equalising tanks (where it undergoes deeper treatment, including biological treatment in natural conditions – as a result of which its limpidity improves, the pH and composition is averaged, and the content of biogenic substances is reduced) and then discharged into receiving waters.

The separated sediment is compacted and then drained at a sludge drainage unit equipped with sedimentation centrifuges. 

With the current condition of the mechanical and chemical wastewater treatment plant, it is possible to achieve satisfactory technical efficiency of the equipment. The basic physical and chemical properties of the treated wastewater comply with the requirements set out in the integrated pollution prevention and control permit, regulation of the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, and BAT conclusions. 

Spent cooling water and stormwater from the plant premises are discharged directly into the surface waters of the Oder River. The discharged spent cooling water is monitored for pH. 

The quality of wastewater is monitored in accordance with the provisions of the integrated pollution prevention and control permit. The volume of discharged wastewater is measured on a continuous basis, while the quality of wastewater discharged into water is examined at regular intervals by an accredited laboratory.

Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn

The company generates process wastewater, spent cooling water and stormwater. It has a modern, regularly upgraded multi-stage wastewater treatment and disposal system, making the company self-sufficient in terms of wastewater management. The system consists of the central mechanical treatment plant, the central mechanical and biological 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, as an advanced wastewater heating unit makes it possible to effectively remove most nitrogen compounds, also during winter. The upgrade also included replacement of the fine bubble submerged aeration system and air blowers, as well as launch of an automatic control system for the oxygen dosing process.

Both water consumption and the wastewater from each production process directed to the multi-stage treatment system are closely monitored. The company holds a water-law permit setting out the permitted withdrawal volumes of surface water and groundwater, as well as an integrated pollution prevention and control permit specifying the maximum quantity and required quality of wastewater discharged. The company’s integrated pollution prevention and control permits for the production facilities set out the permitted water consumption levels as well as the parameters and quantities of wastewater discharged. As part of the ISO 14001 environmental management system, relevant documents (work instructions and process descriptions) have been developed to transpose the water consumption limits specified in the integrated permits to individual installations.

All standards for the quantity, condition and composition of wastewater have been laid down in the applicable integrated pollution prevention and control permit for the wastewater treatment plant.