Gutenstetten OT Pahres Wastewater Treatment Plant, Bavaria, Germany

Gutenstetten OT Pahres is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the village of Pahres, part of the Gutenstetten municipality in Bavaria, Germany. The plant serves a population of around 2,080 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU UWWTD for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 2,600 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 526.4 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well within its capacity. German wastewater treatment plants are subject to strict national regulations based on the EU framework, ensuring high environmental standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that flow into the Aisch River, a tributary of the Regnitz, which eventually joins the Main and Rhine rivers. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of these water bodies and the downstream ecosystems, including the Rhine basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor.

The plant discharges into small watercourses that drain into the Aisch River, a tributary of the Regnitz, which flows into the Main and ultimately the Rhine River. The Rhine basin is a major European watershed supporting diverse aquatic habitats and migratory fish species. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect these downstream environments from nutrient pollution and organic matter.