Overview
Habichtswald _ Ehlen wastewater treatment plant serves the Ehlen district in Hessen, Germany, treating wastewater from approximately 6,100 residents. The plant operates under Germany's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Habichtswald _ Ehlen is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the Ehlen district of Habichtswald, within the Landkreis Kassel in Hessen, Germany. The facility serves a population of approximately 6,100 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under EU regulations. Its location in central Germany places it in a temperate climate zone with mixed urban and agricultural surroundings. As a German plant serving fewer than 10,000 population equivalents, it is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment before discharge. For agglomerations of this size, secondary treatment is typically mandated unless the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas, which may require more advanced treatment. The plant's operational details and specific treatment processes are managed in accordance with national water laws (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz) and state-level regulations. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that are part of the Weser river basin. The Weser flows northward through Germany, eventually reaching the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the local aquatic environment, including streams that support diverse freshwater species and contribute to the ecological health of the broader Weser watershed.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into small streams within the Weser river basin, which flows north through Hessen and Lower Saxony to the North Sea. These streams support typical Central European freshwater ecosystems, including fish species such as brown trout and grayling, and provide habitat for macroinvertebrates. The Weser basin is an important ecological corridor, and the plant's treatment helps maintain water quality standards under the EU Water Framework Directive.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located at L 3220, Gut Bodenhausen, in the Ehlen district of Habichtswald, Landkreis Kassel, Hessen, Germany.
The plant serves approximately 6,100 residents in the Ehlen area and surrounding parts of Habichtswald.
The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that are part of the Weser river basin, which ultimately flows to the North Sea.
As a German plant serving fewer than 10,000 people, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment unless the receiving waters are sensitive. National implementation is through the German Water Resources Act (WHG).
For agglomerations of this size, secondary treatment (biological treatment) is standard under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. In sensitive areas, additional nutrient removal may be required.
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