Gutenstetten Wastewater Treatment Plant, Reinhardshofen, Bavaria

The Gutenstetten wastewater treatment plant is located in Reinhardshofen, a locality within the municipality of Gutenstetten in Bavaria, Germany. It served a population of 603 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). The plant is now closed, having operated with secondary treatment. As a German facility, the plant operated under the national implementation of the EU UWWTD, which requires secondary treatment for all agglomerations above 2000 population equivalent (PE). For small plants like Gutenstetten, secondary treatment meets the standard for inland freshwater discharge. The designed capacity was 2000 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 152.61 cubic meters per day. The plant's treated effluent was discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Aisch river, a tributary of the Regnitz, which flows into the Main and ultimately the Rhine. The Rhine basin supports diverse aquatic life and is a major European waterway. The plant's closure suggests that wastewater from this area is now managed by a neighboring facility, likely with upgraded treatment.

The plant discharged into the Aisch river system, part of the Rhine basin. The Rhine is a major European river supporting diverse fish species and migratory corridors. The region's watershed contributes to the Main and ultimately the North Sea.