Overview
Dietramszell wastewater treatment plant in Bairawies, Bavaria, Germany, serves 1,600 people with secondary treatment. The plant is now closed.
The Dietramszell wastewater treatment plant is located in Bairawies, a locality within the municipality of Dietramszell in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Bavaria, Germany. The plant served a population of approximately 1,600 people and had a designed capacity of 2,500 cubic meters per day. It is currently closed. The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive mandates secondary treatment for all discharges from agglomerations with a population equivalent above 2,000, but Germany applies stringent standards even for smaller plants. The treated effluent was discharged into a local watercourse that flows into the Isar River, a major tributary of the Danube. The Isar eventually reaches the Black Sea via the Danube Delta. The plant's operation helped protect the sensitive aquatic ecosystems of the Isar and downstream waters from nutrient pollution.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge entered a small stream that feeds into the Isar River, which flows through the Bavarian Alps and the city of Munich before joining the Danube. The Isar supports diverse aquatic life, including endangered fish species such as the Danube salmon. The downstream Danube Delta is a vast wetland of international ecological importance, providing habitat for numerous bird species and migratory fish. Proper wastewater treatment in the Isar catchment is critical to prevent eutrophication and maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive region.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Bairawies, a locality within the municipality of Dietramszell, in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Bavaria, Germany.
The plant served approximately 1,600 people before its closure.
The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this scale.
The plant's discharge entered a local stream that flows into the Isar River, a major tributary of the Danube. The Danube ultimately reaches the Black Sea.
The plant operated under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, transposed into German law. For small agglomerations like Dietramszell, secondary treatment is the minimum requirement, with strict effluent standards enforced by the Bavarian environmental authorities.
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