Tauplitz Klachau Wastewater Treatment Plant, Steiermark, Austria

Tauplitz Klachau is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in the village of Klachau, near Tauplitz, in the district of Liezen, Steiermark, Austria. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,160 people and has a designed capacity of 4,000 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 658.41 cubic meters per day. As an advanced treatment facility, Tauplitz Klachau goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which is typical for plants in sensitive areas under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). Austria implements this directive strictly, especially in alpine and pre-alpine regions where receiving waters are often sensitive to eutrophication. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Enns River, a major tributary of the Danube. The Danube ultimately flows into the Black Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the Enns and downstream ecosystems, supporting aquatic life and recreational uses in the region.

The plant discharges into small streams that feed the Enns River, which flows through the Styrian Alps and joins the Danube near Mauthausen. The Enns supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as grayling and brown trout. Downstream, the Danube is a major European waterway and ecological corridor. The advanced treatment helps prevent nutrient overloading, which is critical for maintaining the ecological balance of these waters.