Poland is facing a serious ecological crisis which has remained in the shadow of public debates for years. More than 2 million households in the country operate without access to sewerage, and illegal drainage becomes 1 of the major threats to the environment. In response, local governments and environmental services launched a wide-ranging control action that could affect hundreds of thousands of property owners.
The scale of the problem: sewers go to dirt alternatively of treatment plants
According to the findings Supreme Audit Chamber, up to 80% of properties equipped with septic tanks or home sewage treatment plants do not decently manage the resulting impurities. Only in 2023 the Polish waters were estimated 250 million cubic metres of untreated sewage — is simply a volume comparable to 100,000 Olympic Pools. The consequences are dramatic: polluted rivers, lakes and wells and dying local ecosystems.
Controls with momentum: thousands of properties under scrutiny
Changes in Almost watery from 2022 granted the municipalities fresh tools to fight illegal waste water disposal. Administrative penalties may scope as much as 50 1000 PLNAnd the controls are getting fast. By comparison, until late the average agrarian municipality controlled several properties per year. present any of them, like Janowiec Kościelny, they plan up to 200 controls only in the first half of 2025.
Municipalities specified as New Lęborska Village and hundreds of another administrative units. All indications indicate that the controls will not be one-off, but Part of a multi-annual strategy to combat illegal waste water discharge.
What's the control look like? Step by step
The procedure usually starts with summoning the owner of the property to the municipal office. The individual checked must present:
- Contract with the extraction company,
- Invoices for the export of impurities,
- Evidence of the frequency of septic tank emptying.
These data are combined with water consumption. For example, A four-person household consuming about 12 ml of water per period should empty 10 ml septic tanks all 5-6 weeks. besides uncommon a frequency may propose an illegal waste water discharge.
New technologies on inspector services
Inspectors have increasingly advanced tools. Fluorescent dyesWhich detect illegal discharges, that's standard. More and more usage is besides being made drones with thermal imaging cameras, to find leaks and analyse pollutants in the ground.
By Dr. Margaret Kowalski of the Institute for Environmental Protection, 1 cubic metre of untreated sewage may contaminate 100,000 litres of surface watermaking her unfit for biological life. As a result, we observe mass extinction of aquatic organisms, especially in tiny watercourses adjacent to the single-family building.
What threatens the property owners?
The scale of work is wide:
- No papers = mandate 500 PLN,
- Case in court = fine to PLN 5 thousand,
- Illegal waste water discharge = administrative punishment PLN 5 1000 + possible criminal liability,
- No connection of the property to existing sewage = fine up to PLN 50 thousand.
Importantly, the work to join the sewers applies to all the premises to which the network has been brought, whether the owner uses the cesspool.
Cleanup alternatively of punishment? There's money for investments.
For those surviving in undisclosed areas, the solution is domestic sewage treatment plants. Although their construction involves investment, costs can be importantly reduced thanks to grants from the National Environment Fund and EU funds. backing can cover even 80% of investments.
This solution is not only more ecological, but besides economic. Modern treatment plants usage biological processes and significantly reduce the cost of operation compared to frequent cesspool exports.
How to prepare for control?
Experts urge owners to carry out audit of the home sewage system. You should:
- Check septic tanks and tube installations,
- Pay attention to sweeping the area around the tank,
- Analyze water consumption and export frequency,
- Consider modernising the system or network connection.
It is besides worth investing in waste water simplification solutions, specified as perlator, rainwater collectors or water-saving flushers.
Activities for years. Poland under EU pressure
Controls are part of a larger plan. Poland has undertaken to implement EU government on sewage management. EU Wastewater Directive forces the creation of effective waste water collection and treatment systems. Negligence may consequence financial penalties from Brussels.
The Ministry of Climate has already announced multilevel systematic checks over the coming years. The creation is planned central database of home treatment plantsto enable more effective planning and monitoring.
Sewage not only in the country
The problem of illegal drainage is not just about the village. Severe negligence occurs on outskirts of cities and recreational areas, especially close lakes and rivers. During the summertime season, systems are overloaded and illegal discharges are more frequent.
Continued here:
Mass controls have begun. Up to 50 1000 PLN of penalties
