Aumuhle Wastewater Treatment Plant, Görsbach, Thüringen

The Aumuhle wastewater treatment plant is located in Görsbach, a district of Heringen/Helme in the Nordhausen district of Thüringen, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 7,056 people and is classified as a medium-sized agglomeration under German and EU regulations. The plant provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 10,000 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 681.57 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Helme River, a tributary of the Unstrut, which flows into the Saale and then the Elbe River. The Elbe discharges into the North Sea. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the sensitive aquatic ecosystems of the Helme and downstream rivers.

The plant's effluent enters the Helme River, which flows into the Unstrut, then the Saale, and finally the Elbe River before reaching the North Sea. The Helme and Unstrut rivers support diverse aquatic life and are important for regional biodiversity. Advanced treatment at the plant reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters.