Dittenheim Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ehlheim, Bayern, Germany

The Dittenheim wastewater treatment plant is located in Ehlheim, within the municipality of Dittenheim in the Altmühltal administrative community, Landkreis Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen, Bayern, Germany. It serves a population of approximately 8,373 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under German and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for inland freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,500 cubic meters per day and discharges an average volume of 953.37 cubic meters per day, indicating operational capacity well within its design limits. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that flow into the Altmühl River, a tributary of the Danube. The Danube ultimately drains into the Black Sea, making this plant part of a large transboundary river basin. The surrounding region is characterized by the Altmühltal Nature Park, an ecologically sensitive area with diverse aquatic habitats.

The plant's discharge enters the local drainage network that feeds the Altmühl River, a major tributary of the Danube River system. The Danube flows eastward through several countries before reaching the Black Sea. The Altmühltal region supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as grayling and brown trout, and is an important corridor for migratory birds. The secondary treatment provided by the plant helps protect these downstream ecosystems from organic pollution.