Overview
Riksingen wastewater treatment plant in Henis, Limburg, Belgium, serves 2,400 people with advanced treatment.
Riksingen is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Henis, a sub-municipality of Tongeren in the Limburg province of Belgium. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,400 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). It operates within the Flemish region, which is regulated by the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM). The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU UWWTD for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive water bodies. The plant has a designed capacity of 3,510 cubic meters per day and currently discharges an average volume of 429 cubic meters per day, indicating significant spare capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Meuse River basin. The Meuse flows through Belgium and the Netherlands before reaching the North Sea. The advanced treatment level helps protect the ecological health of the Meuse and its downstream environments, including the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta, which supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Meuse River basin, which flows northward through Belgium and the Netherlands to the North Sea. The Meuse supports a variety of aquatic species and is a key water resource for the region. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters, including the sensitive Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta ecosystem.
Frequently asked questions
The Riksingen plant is located in Henis, a sub-municipality of Tongeren in the Limburg province of Belgium.
The plant serves approximately 2,400 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations.
Riksingen provides advanced treatment, which includes nutrient removal beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Under the EU UWWTD, agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 10,000 are required to have secondary treatment. Riksingen exceeds this with advanced treatment, reflecting local environmental sensitivity.
The plant has a designed capacity of 3,510 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 429 cubic meters per day, indicating substantial spare capacity.
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