Burgel_Graitschen Wastewater Treatment Plant, Graitschen, Thüringen

Burgel_Graitschen is a wastewater treatment plant located in Graitschen, a small town in the Saale-Holzland-Kreis district of Thüringen, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,682 residents and is part of the municipal infrastructure for the region. 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 3,500 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 417.66 m³/day, the plant operates well within its capacity, ensuring effective treatment of wastewater. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Saale River, a major tributary of the Elbe River. The Elbe flows into the North Sea, making the plant's advanced treatment important for protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and the North Sea environment.

The plant discharges into the Saale River basin, which flows northward through Thüringen and Saxony-Anhalt before joining the Elbe River. The Elbe then empties into the North Sea. The region's water bodies support diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as salmon and eel. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loads and protect the ecological health of the Saale-Elbe system.