Overview
KA Gerdau is a closed advanced wastewater treatment plant in Barnsen, Niedersachsen, Germany. It served a population of 1,854 with a designed capacity of 2,100 m³/day.
KA Gerdau (3604052071) is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Barnsen, a locality within the municipality of Gerdau in the Samtgemeinde Suderburg, Uelzen district, Niedersachsen, Germany. The plant served a small agglomeration of approximately 1,854 people and had a designed capacity of 2,100 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 469.2 m³/day. As an advanced treatment facility, KA Gerdau provided a higher level of pollutant removal than conventional secondary treatment, likely including nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) as required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for sensitive areas. The plant is now closed, and its operational status reflects decommissioning, possibly due to consolidation of wastewater services in the region. The plant's discharge ultimately enters the local watershed, which is part of the Elbe river basin. The treated effluent would have flowed into the Gerdau stream, a tributary of the Ilmenau, which joins the Elbe before reaching the North Sea. The Elbe estuary is an ecologically important area supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory fish species.
Environmental context
The plant discharged into the Gerdau stream, a small tributary of the Ilmenau river, which flows into the Elbe river and eventually the North Sea. The Elbe estuary is a critical habitat for migratory fish such as salmon and eel, and supports a wide range of bird species. The advanced treatment level would have helped protect downstream water quality in this sensitive watershed.
Frequently asked questions
KA Gerdau is located in Barnsen, a locality in the municipality of Gerdau, Samtgemeinde Suderburg, Uelzen district, Niedersachsen, Germany.
The plant served a population of approximately 1,854 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The treated wastewater was discharged into the Gerdau stream, a tributary of the Ilmenau river, which flows into the Elbe river and eventually the North Sea.
KA Gerdau provided advanced treatment, which typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) beyond secondary treatment, as required for sensitive areas under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The plant is listed as closed, likely due to consolidation of wastewater services in the region, as smaller plants are often replaced by larger, more efficient facilities.
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