Obertilliach Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tirol, Austria

The Obertilliach wastewater treatment plant is located in the village of Obertilliach, in the Bezirk Lienz district of Tirol, Austria. It serves a population of 1,276 and is designed to handle a capacity of 2,200 cubic meters per day, with a current discharge volume of 188.6 m³/day. As an advanced treatment facility, the plant goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants, meeting the high standards set by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For small agglomerations like Obertilliach, the directive requires appropriate treatment to protect sensitive receiving waters. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Drava River basin, which flows through Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia before reaching the Danube. The advanced treatment helps protect the ecological health of these downstream waters, which support diverse aquatic life and are important for regional biodiversity.

The plant discharges into the Drava River basin, a major tributary of the Danube. The Drava River supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish species such as the Danube salmon and various migratory birds. Advanced treatment at Obertilliach helps reduce nutrient loading, protecting water quality in the downstream Danube Delta, a critical ecological region.