Kieldrecht Wastewater Treatment Plant - Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Kieldrecht wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Kieldrecht, part of the Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht municipality in Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium. The plant serves a population of approximately 5,300 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Belgian and EU regulations. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 7,200 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 947.37 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Scheldt estuary and the North Sea. The plant's coastal location (within 10 km of the coast) means its discharge can affect sensitive marine environments, making the advanced treatment level particularly important for protecting downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into the Scheldt basin, which flows through the port of Antwerp and into the North Sea via the Westerschelde estuary. This coastal region supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish and bird populations. The advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and protect the estuarine and marine environment from eutrophication.