Birkenfeld Wastewater Treatment Plant, Karbach, Bayern, Germany

Birkenfeld wastewater treatment plant is located in Karbach, a municipality in the Main-Spessart district of Bayern, Germany. The plant served a population of 1,367 and had a designed capacity of 2,700 cubic meters per day. It provided secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size. As a German plant, Birkenfeld operated under the national implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For a population equivalent of 1,367, the directive requires secondary treatment, which the plant provided. The plant's discharge volume was 345.95 cubic meters per day, indicating a utilization rate well below its designed capacity. It likely discharges into a local stream or river within the Main River basin, which flows into the Rhine and ultimately the North Sea. The plant's closure may reflect consolidation of wastewater services in the region.

The plant is located inland in Bayern, more than 50 km from the coast. Its treated effluent likely enters a tributary of the Main River, which flows into the Rhine and then the North Sea. The local watershed supports agricultural and ecological systems, and proper wastewater treatment helps protect water quality in the Rhine basin.