Overview
Eilendorf wastewater treatment plant serves Aachen, Germany, in Nordrhein-Westfalen. It treats wastewater from approximately 42,541 people under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The Eilendorf wastewater treatment plant is located in Aachen, in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. It serves a population of around 42,541 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is situated in the western part of Germany, near the border with Belgium and the Netherlands. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), plants serving agglomerations of this scale are required to provide secondary treatment as a minimum. In sensitive areas, which include many water bodies in Nordrhein-Westfalen, tertiary treatment may be mandated to reduce nutrient loads. It operates within Germany's stringent national water management framework. The treated effluent from the Eilendorf plant is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Rur River basin and then into the Meuse River, flowing towards the North Sea. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the region. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this transboundary river system.
Environmental context
The Eilendorf plant discharges into the local drainage network that feeds the Rur River, a tributary of the Meuse River. The Meuse flows through Belgium and the Netherlands before reaching the North Sea. This watershed supports a variety of fish species and aquatic habitats, and is an important migratory corridor for birds. The region's water bodies are subject to EU Water Framework Directive requirements to achieve good ecological status.
Frequently asked questions
The Eilendorf plant is located in Aachen, in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Its address is Nirmer Weg, Verlautenheide, Haaren, Aachen, 52080.
The plant serves approximately 42,541 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which flows into the Rur River basin and eventually the Meuse River, reaching the North Sea.
The plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size, and potentially tertiary treatment in sensitive areas.
In Germany, plants of this scale typically provide at least secondary biological treatment. In sensitive catchments like the Meuse basin, additional nutrient removal (tertiary treatment) is often required to meet EU Water Framework Directive goals.
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