Ebeleben Wastewater Treatment Plant, Thüringen, Germany

Ebeleben wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Ebeleben, within the Kyffhäuserkreis district of Thüringen, Germany. The plant serves a small population of approximately 1,946 people and is designed with a capacity of 3,500 cubic meters per day. It is currently closed. The plant provided 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. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal to protect sensitive water bodies. The treated effluent from the plant would have discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Unstrut River, a tributary of the Saale, which ultimately flows into the Elbe River and the North Sea. The plant's advanced treatment helped protect the local watershed and downstream aquatic ecosystems.

The plant's discharge would have entered small streams in the Thüringen region, which flow into the Unstrut River. The Unstrut joins the Saale, which then drains into the Elbe River and finally the North Sea. The area supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a broader river basin that requires careful nutrient management to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters.