Wastewater
Production processes run at our plants involve the generation of wastewater.
Production processes run at our plants involve the generation of wastewater. The Group has implemented methods of its treatment and disposal to minimise the resulting environmental nuisance.
Grupa Azoty S.A.
Grupa Azoty S.A. generates process wastewater, sanitary sewage, spent cooling water, and stormwater. They are transported to treatment facilities. Industrial wastewater and sanitary sewage undergo treatment at the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant, while the Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant receives industrial wastewater containing biodegradable substances. This type of wastewater is then additionally streamed to the Wastewater Treatment Facility operated by the Tarnów Water and Sewage Utility (Zakład Oczyszczalni Ścieków Tarnowskich Wodociągów Sp. z o.o.). Stormwater and spent cooling water from Grupa Azoty S.A.’s premises is transported by means of separate collectors via the retention pond, and then discharged through the Sutro weir into the Dunajec river.
The company has put in place solutions to prevent negative consequences of a potential failure of one of the wastewater management components. The system can be shut off by closing the stormwater outflow valve and pumping all wastewater to the Central Treatment Plant to prevent pollutants escape. 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.
Parameters of the wastewater are monitored on an ongoing basis by means of remote analysers. In addition, wastewater samples are laboratory-tested for pollutants. The discharged wastewater meets the parameters defined in the integrated permit.
BEST PRACTICE
Group Azoty S.A. has implemented a project to construct a pilot-plant unit for biological treatment of wastewater from production units. The project will make it possible to carry out tests to develop an upgrade concept for the Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Grupa Azoty S.A. has successfully pilot-tested recirculation of wastewater treated at the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant to the industrial water network.
Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn
The company generates process wastewater, spent cooling water and stormwater. Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn has a modern, regularly upgraded multi-stage wastewater treatment and disposal system, making the company self-sufficient in wastewater treatment.
The system consists of 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.
An upgrade (completed in 2018) helped improve the nitrification and denitrification process, with a unique wastewater heating unit installed for effective removal of nitrogen compounds, also during 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. At Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn, wastewater is thoroughly monitored both at the stage of its generation at individual units and at the time of discharge.
The wastewater treatment system at Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn meets the BAT CWW Conclusions, which are much more stringent than standards set out in the Minister of Water Management’s Regulation on substances particularly harmful to the environment.
The integrated permits set the permitted levels of wastewater pollutants generated at individual units. As part of the ISO 14001 environmental management system, system documents (work instructions and process descriptions) have been developed transposing the provisions of the integrated permits.
In 2021, no wastewater quality parameter was exceeded at the company. Compared with 2020, the volume of wastewater fell by 431.4 thousand cubic metres, i.e. 6.7%, thanks to increased use of the system of wastewater recirculation for the production of industrial water (an increase of 1,050.0 thousand cubic metres, i.e. 65.5%). As for discharge of pollutant loads, a decrease was recorded in both organic compounds (down 17.5%) and nitrogen compounds (down 32.7%).
Grupa Azoty Puławy
Grupa Azoty Puławy generates industrial wastewater, including wastewater from cooling circuits of process units, sanitary sewage, stormwater and spent cooling water from the CHP plant.
The company has implemented a multi-stage wastewater treatment system. Its first component is comprised of pretreatment facilities located at individual units. Pretreated wastewater is then transported to the central wastewater treatment facility, built as a multi-unit system that uses different technologies for specific types of wastewater. The system consists of a biological blackwater treatment unit, a biological industrial wastewater treatment unit, a central mechanical and chemical industrial wastewater treatment unit, and a tertiary biological treatment unit.
The wastewater discharge channel functions as a collector of the entire wastewater system. It is an open channel which, through separate connections, collects wastewater treated at individual sections of the wastewater treatment system, as well as other wastewater from the company’s units and from third parties. Wastewater is transported through the discharge channel to the tertiary biological treatment unit (pond), where natural biological and physico-chemical processes of self-purification from nitrogen and organic compounds occur, and afterwards is discharged to the Vistula river.
The wastewater discharge channel is fitted with a system linking it to a channel transporting surface water withdrawn by the company and enabling recirculation of some (approximately 15%–30%) of the wastewater discharged.
Permitted volumes of pollutant discharges are specified in the company’s integrated permit. As the existing system does not ensure compliance with the requirements of the BAT CWW Conclusions, Grupa Azoty Puławy commenced the construction of a new central biological wastewater treatment plant. In 2021, work was continued to select a contractor for the project design. Laboratory tests of discharged wastewater streams were completed, final test reports were received and tender documentation was prepared. The company has been granted a temporary derogation from the BAT CWW Conclusions for the purpose of completing the construction of the new wastewater treatment plant.
The quantity and quality of water withdrawn and discharged are monitored in accordance with the provisions of the company’s integrated permit.
Grupa Azoty Police
Industrial wastewater from production processes is treated at the company wastewater treatment plant. Spent cooling water and stormwater from the plant premises are discharged directly into the surface waters of the Oder. Spent cooling water undergoes automatic pH monitoring on a continuous basis.
To ensure legal compliance, the treated wastewater is monitored in accordance with the terms of the integrated permit. The volume of discharged wastewater is measured on an ongoing basis, while the quality of wastewater discharged into water is examined at regular intervals by an accredited laboratory.
The company meets all the requirements set out in its integrated permit, the regulation of the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, and the BAT Conclusions.
