Overview
Merelbeke wastewater treatment plant serves 8,200 people in Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size.
Merelbeke wastewater treatment plant is located in Gent, within the province of Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium. The facility serves a population of approximately 8,200 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is situated in the Scheldt basin, a major river system that flows through Belgium and into the North Sea. As a Belgian facility, Merelbeke operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent discharging into freshwater or estuaries. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day or similar unit), indicating it is sized appropriately for its service population. Treatment processes and operational status are consistent with standard municipal practices for this scale. The treated effluent from Merelbeke is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Scheldt River and then the North Sea. The Scheldt estuary is an ecologically important area supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory bird populations. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this sensitive watershed, contributing to the overall health of the North Sea marine environment.
Environmental context
Merelbeke plant discharges into the Scheldt River basin, which flows through Belgium and the Netherlands before reaching the North Sea. The Scheldt estuary is a vital ecological corridor for fish migration and supports a rich diversity of benthic invertebrates and bird species. The plant's treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, safeguarding the estuary's ecological balance and the downstream marine environment.
Frequently asked questions
The Merelbeke wastewater treatment plant is located at 1, Kappetragel, Zwijnaarde, in the city of Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
The Merelbeke plant serves approximately 8,200 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated effluent from the Merelbeke plant is discharged into local waterways that flow into the Scheldt River, which ultimately reaches the North Sea.
As a Belgian facility, the Merelbeke plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of its size.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, plants serving between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent are required to have secondary treatment, which is the standard for facilities like Merelbeke.
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