Overview
Wasserverband Unteres Drautal is a wastewater treatment plant in Kellerberg, Kärnten, Austria, serving approximately 8,000 people. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Wasserverband Unteres Drautal is a wastewater treatment plant located in Kellerberg, a village in the municipality of Weißenstein in the district of Villach-Land, Kärnten, Austria. The plant serves a population equivalent of about 8,000, placing it in the small to medium agglomeration category under EU classification. As a plant in an EU member state, it is subject to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size discharging into freshwater. The regulatory framework ensures compliance with effluent standards for biological oxygen demand and suspended solids. The plant discharges into the Drau River (Drava), a major tributary of the Danube. The Drau flows east through Kärnten and into Slovenia and Croatia before joining the Danube. The downstream environment supports diverse aquatic life and is part of the Danube basin, one of Europe's most important ecological corridors.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Drau River, which flows through the Gailtal Alps and Drava Valley before joining the Danube near Osijek, Croatia. The Drau is a dynamic alpine river supporting diverse fish species and riparian habitats. Downstream, the Danube basin is a critical migratory corridor for birds and aquatic species, with extensive floodplain forests and wetlands that provide natural water purification and flood regulation.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Kellerberg, a village in the municipality of Weißenstein, in the district of Villach-Land, Kärnten, Austria.
The plant serves approximately 8,000 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under EU standards.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the Drau River (Drava), which flows eastward through Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia before joining the Danube.
As an Austrian plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size discharging into freshwater.
Under the EU UWWTD, plants serving between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent are required to have secondary treatment, which typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids.
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