Overview
Gemeinde Irschen is an advanced wastewater treatment plant in Nörenach, Kärnten, Austria, serving approximately 3,610 people with a designed capacity of 4,950 m³/day.
Gemeinde Irschen is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Nörenach, within the municipality of Irschen in the state of Kärnten, Austria. The plant serves a population of around 3,610 people and has a designed capacity of 4,950 m³/day, with a current discharge volume of 392 m³/day. It is situated near the Drauradweg cycling path, reflecting its integration into the local landscape. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), Austria classifies sensitive areas requiring such treatment. For a small agglomeration of this size, advanced treatment ensures compliance with strict effluent standards, protecting the receiving water body. The treated effluent is discharged into the Drau River basin, which flows through Kärnten and ultimately into the Danube River and the Black Sea. This connection underscores the plant's role in safeguarding downstream ecosystems, including the Drau's diverse aquatic habitats and the broader Danube watershed.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Drau River, a major tributary of the Danube, which flows through the Alps and into the Black Sea. The Drau supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species like grayling and brown trout, and its riparian zones provide important habitat. Advanced treatment helps maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive alpine river system.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Nörenach, within the municipality of Irschen, in the state of Kärnten, Austria, near the Drauradweg cycling path.
The plant serves approximately 3,610 people, making it a small agglomeration under EU classification.
The plant provides advanced treatment, which includes nutrient removal beyond secondary treatment, to meet stringent effluent standards.
Austria implements the EU UWWTD, which requires advanced treatment for agglomerations in sensitive areas. For a plant serving around 3,610 people, advanced treatment ensures compliance with the directive's standards for nutrient removal.
The treated effluent is discharged into the Drau River basin, which flows into the Danube and ultimately the Black Sea, supporting downstream aquatic ecosystems.
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