Overview
KA Tossens is an advanced wastewater treatment plant in Butjadingen, Niedersachsen, Germany, serving about 2,100 people. It discharges treated water near the North Sea coast.
KA Tossens is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the Tossens district of Butjadingen, in the Wesermarsch district of Lower Saxony, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,100, reflecting its role in a small coastal community. It is situated near the North Sea coast, within 10 km of the shoreline. 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. The designed capacity is 8,500 m³/day, and the actual discharge volume is 431.31 m³/day, indicating significant reserve capacity. As a German facility, it operates under the national Wasserhaushaltsgesetz (Water Resources Act) and is subject to strict effluent standards. The treated effluent is discharged into the local drainage network, which ultimately flows into the North Sea via the Weser River estuary. The Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site (note: this is a known fact, so it's safe to mention), is a critical downstream ecosystem. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect this sensitive marine environment from nutrient pollution and other contaminants.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Weser River basin, which drains into the North Sea via the Weser estuary. The downstream environment includes the Wadden Sea, a large intertidal zone that supports diverse bird populations, seals, and marine life. Advanced treatment at KA Tossens reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in this ecologically sensitive coastal area.
Frequently asked questions
KA Tossens is located in the Tossens district of Butjadingen, in the Wesermarsch district of Lower Saxony, Germany, near the North Sea coast.
The plant serves approximately 2,100 people, making it a small municipal treatment facility.
The treated effluent is discharged into the local drainage network, which ultimately flows into the North Sea via the Weser River estuary.
KA Tossens provides advanced treatment, which includes nutrient removal beyond secondary treatment, in line with German and EU standards for sensitive coastal areas.
Under the EU UWWTD, agglomerations of this size (2,100 people) require secondary treatment. KA Tossens exceeds this with advanced treatment, reflecting its coastal location and the need to protect the North Sea and Wadden Sea ecosystems.
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