Greven Reckenfeld Wastewater Treatment Plant, Greven, Germany

The Greven Reckenfeld wastewater treatment plant is located in Greven, a town in the Steinfurt district of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 56,767 people, classifying it as a medium-to-large agglomeration under EU regulations. Its location near the Emsdettener Damm places it within the Ems river basin, an important waterway in northwestern Germany. As a German wastewater facility, the plant is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary biological treatment for agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) above 2,000. For a plant serving over 50,000 PE, the directive also mandates more stringent treatment if the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas. The plant's treatment processes are designed to meet these regulatory standards, ensuring compliance with national and European water quality objectives. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Ems River. The Ems flows northward through the region, passing through the Emsland and eventually reaching the North Sea near Emden. This river supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the region. The plant's operations help protect the water quality of the Ems and its downstream environments, including the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its tidal flats and biodiversity.

The plant discharges into the Ems River basin, which flows through Nordrhein-Westfalen and Lower Saxony before emptying into the North Sea. The Ems is a lowland river with a catchment area of about 17,000 km², supporting a variety of fish species and migratory birds. Downstream, the river feeds into the Wadden Sea, a highly productive intertidal zone that serves as a critical stopover for millions of migratory birds. The plant's nutrient removal helps prevent eutrophication in these sensitive coastal waters.