Grafenau OT Furth Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saldenburg, Bayern

Grafenau OT Furth is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Saldenburg, in the Landkreis Freyung-Grafenau district of Bayern, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,545 and has a designed capacity of 6,500 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 960.44 cubic meters per day. As an advanced treatment facility, Grafenau OT Furth goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, meeting the stringent requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for sensitive areas. The plant's scale places it in the small agglomeration category, for which the directive mandates appropriate collection and treatment systems. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Danube River basin, contributing to the protection of the Black Sea ecosystem. The surrounding region is characterized by forests and agricultural land, making effective nutrient removal critical to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters.

The plant discharges into small streams that feed into the Danube River basin, which flows into the Black Sea. The region's sensitive aquatic ecosystems benefit from advanced treatment that reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent algal blooms and maintain water quality in downstream rivers and the Black Sea.