Overview
Bezau wastewater treatment plant serves Reuthe in Vorarlberg, Austria, with a designed capacity of 1.00 and a population equivalent of 16,792. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The Bezau wastewater treatment plant is located in Reuthe, a municipality in the Bregenz district of Vorarlberg, Austria. Serving a population equivalent of 16,792, the plant is part of the region's municipal wastewater infrastructure, treating sewage from the Bregenzerwald area. As a plant of this scale in Austria, it falls under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations between 10,000 and 150,000 population equivalent. The treated effluent is discharged into the Bregenzer Ach river, which flows through the Bregenzerwald valley and eventually into Lake Constance (Bodensee). This lake is a major freshwater resource for the region, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing drinking water for millions. The plant plays a key role in protecting this sensitive alpine watershed from nutrient pollution.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Bregenzer Ach, a river that drains the Bregenzerwald region and flows into Lake Constance, one of Europe's largest lakes. Lake Constance is a critical freshwater ecosystem supporting diverse fish populations and migratory birds. The plant's treatment helps prevent eutrophication and maintains water quality in this ecologically sensitive alpine watershed.
Frequently asked questions
The Bezau wastewater treatment plant is located in Reuthe, a municipality in the Bregenz district of Vorarlberg, Austria, along the Bregenzerwaldstraße.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 16,792, covering the Bezau area and surrounding communities in the Bregenzerwald region.
Treated wastewater from the plant is discharged into the Bregenzer Ach river, which flows through the Bregenzerwald valley and eventually into Lake Constance.
As a plant serving between 10,000 and 150,000 population equivalent, it falls under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment and, in sensitive areas, tertiary treatment to protect water bodies like Lake Constance.
In Austria, plants of this scale typically employ secondary biological treatment, often with nutrient removal, to meet EU standards. Some may include tertiary filtration or phosphorus removal to protect sensitive receiving waters like Lake Constance.
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