De Klinge Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sint-Gillis-Waas, Belgium

De Klinge is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Sint-Gillis-Waas, within the province of Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,900 residents and is designed to handle a capacity of 4,500 m³ per day, with an average discharge volume of 697.12 m³ per day. As an advanced treatment facility, De Klinge goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants, ensuring high-quality effluent. This level of treatment is typical for plants in sensitive areas under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires advanced treatment for agglomerations discharging into sensitive water bodies. The treated effluent from De Klinge is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Scheldt River basin and the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the regional aquatic environment, supporting water quality in the downstream ecosystem, which includes estuarine and coastal habitats.

De Klinge discharges into the Scheldt River basin, which flows through Belgium and the Netherlands before reaching the North Sea. The Scheldt estuary is an ecologically important area, supporting diverse aquatic life and serving as a migratory corridor for fish. Advanced treatment at the plant helps reduce nutrient loads, protecting downstream water quality and the sensitive coastal environment.