Altenfeld Wastewater Treatment Plant, Großbreitenbach, Thüringen

Altenfeld is a former wastewater treatment plant located in the Altenfeld district of Großbreitenbach, in the Ilm-Kreis district of Thüringen, Germany. The plant served a population of approximately 2,109 people and was designed with a capacity of 2,500 cubic meters per day. It is now closed. As a German plant, Altenfeld operated under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant achieved advanced treatment, exceeding the minimum requirements for its population tier. The plant's discharge would have entered a local watercourse within the Elbe river basin, ultimately draining into the North Sea. The surrounding region is characterized by forested low mountain ranges and supports diverse aquatic life in its streams and rivers.

The plant's treated effluent would have flowed into a tributary of the Ilm River, part of the Saale-Elbe system, which drains into the North Sea. The local watershed includes sensitive headwater streams that support brown trout and other cold-water species. The Thuringian Forest region is ecologically significant for its forested catchments and groundwater recharge areas.