ARA Ramingstein: Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Kendlbruck, Salzburg

ARA Ramingstein is an advanced wastewater treatment facility located in Kendlbruck, a locality in the municipality of Ramingstein, Bezirk Tamsweg, Salzburg, Austria. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,635 residents, providing essential sanitation services for this alpine community. As an advanced treatment plant, ARA Ramingstein goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, ensuring high-quality effluent. With a designed capacity of 2,000 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 296.27 m³/day, the plant operates well within its capacity. Austrian wastewater treatment plants are regulated under national legislation that implements the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates appropriate treatment levels based on receiving water sensitivity. The plant discharges treated wastewater into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Mur River, a major tributary of the Drava and Danube river systems. This alpine region features sensitive aquatic ecosystems, and the advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality in the Mur River basin, supporting biodiversity and recreational uses.

The treated effluent from ARA Ramingstein flows into local streams that feed the Mur River, which travels through the Austrian Alps before joining the Drava River in Croatia and eventually reaching the Danube River and the Black Sea. The Mur River basin supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as brown trout and grayling, and is an important ecological corridor in the Eastern Alps. Advanced treatment at this plant helps maintain water quality in this sensitive alpine watershed.