Overview
Tieschen wastewater treatment plant serves the Patzen area in Steiermark, Austria. It provides advanced treatment for a population of 1,672 with a designed capacity of 2,600 m³/day.
The Tieschen wastewater treatment plant is located in Patzen, a locality within the municipality of Tieschen in the Bezirk Südoststeiermark, Steiermark, Austria. The plant serves a population of 1,672 and has a designed capacity of 2,600 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 364.70 cubic meters per day. As an advanced treatment facility, Tieschen goes beyond the secondary treatment requirements mandated by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive requires secondary treatment for populations over 2,000, but Austria applies advanced treatment in sensitive areas to protect water quality. The plant's advanced processes likely include nutrient removal to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Mur River basin, which flows through Steiermark and eventually into the Drava and Danube rivers. The plant plays a key role in protecting the region's water resources, supporting aquatic life in the Mur-Danube system, and contributing to the ecological health of the Black Sea basin.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into small streams that feed the Mur River, a major tributary of the Drava and ultimately the Danube. This watershed supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish species such as grayling and brown trout. The advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, protecting downstream water quality in the Danube basin and the Black Sea.
Frequently asked questions
The Tieschen wastewater treatment plant is located in Patzen, a locality within the municipality of Tieschen, in the Bezirk Südoststeiermark, Steiermark, Austria.
The plant serves a population of 1,672 people, making it a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The plant provides advanced treatment, which includes nutrient removal beyond secondary treatment, to protect sensitive water bodies in the region.
Under the EU UWWTD, agglomerations under 2,000 population equivalent are not required to have collecting systems, but Austria mandates treatment for smaller communities to meet national water quality standards. The plant's advanced treatment exceeds the directive's minimum requirements.
The plant protects local streams that flow into the Mur River, a major tributary of the Drava and Danube rivers. This contributes to the ecological health of the Danube basin and the Black Sea.
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