Overview
Hiddenhausen wastewater treatment plant serves 14,000 people in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this scale.
Hiddenhausen wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Hiddenhausen, in the Kreis Herford district of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 14,000 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations. Its exact location is at Kirchlengerner Straße 1, within the Weser river basin. As a German wastewater facility, Hiddenhausen operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 15,000. For plants serving around 14,000 people, secondary treatment is the standard, with tertiary treatment required if the receiving water body is designated as a sensitive area. The plant's discharge is regulated under Germany's Water Resources Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz) and state-level ordinances. The treated effluent from Hiddenhausen is discharged into a local watercourse that flows into the Werre River, a tributary of the Weser. The Weser River ultimately drains into the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the Werre and Weser systems, which support diverse aquatic life and are used for recreation and agriculture downstream.
Environmental context
Hiddenhausen's treated wastewater enters a small stream that feeds into the Werre River, a tributary of the Weser River system. The Weser flows through northern Germany before discharging into the North Sea. This watershed supports a variety of fish species and is an important ecological corridor. The plant's discharge must meet strict nutrient limits to prevent eutrophication in the sensitive North Sea coastal environment.
Frequently asked questions
The Hiddenhausen wastewater treatment plant is located at Kirchlengerner Straße 1 in Hiddenhausen, in the Kreis Herford district of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
The Hiddenhausen WWTP serves approximately 14,000 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The treated wastewater from Hiddenhausen is discharged into a local watercourse that flows into the Werre River, a tributary of the Weser River, which ultimately reaches the North Sea.
As a German plant, Hiddenhausen operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) and Germany's Water Resources Act. For a population of 14,000, secondary treatment is required, with potential tertiary treatment if the receiving water is a sensitive area.
For agglomerations between 2,000 and 15,000 population equivalent, the EU directive mandates secondary treatment. In Germany, many plants of this size also incorporate nutrient removal (tertiary treatment) to meet strict water quality standards, especially in sensitive watersheds like the Weser basin.
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