Haiderbach GKA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Breitenau, Rhineland-Palatinate

Haiderbach GKA is a wastewater treatment plant located in Breitenau, a district of Ransbach-Baumbach in the Westerwaldkreis of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,440 people and has a designed capacity of 3,000 m³/day, with an average discharge volume of 752.38 m³/day. As an advanced treatment facility, Haiderbach GKA 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. For small agglomerations like this (under 10,000 population equivalent), the directive mandates appropriate treatment to protect receiving waters. The plant discharges treated effluent into local watercourses that drain into the Rhine River basin, ultimately reaching the North Sea. Its advanced treatment helps safeguard the ecological health of the Westerwald region's streams and rivers, which support diverse aquatic life and are important for regional water quality.

Haiderbach GKA discharges into small streams in the Westerwald region, which flow into the Rhine River basin and eventually the North Sea. The area is characterized by low mountain ranges and forests, with sensitive aquatic ecosystems that benefit from advanced nutrient removal to prevent eutrophication and maintain biodiversity.