Overview
The Horstel wastewater treatment plant serves the town of Hörstel in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, with a population equivalent of approximately 26,000. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which mandates secondary treatmen
The Horstel wastewater treatment plant is located in Hörstel, a town in the Steinfurt district of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The facility serves a population equivalent of approximately 26,000, placing it in the medium agglomeration category under EU classification. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations with a population equivalent between 10,000 and 150,000 are required to provide secondary treatment. As a German plant, it is also subject to national water management regulations, including the Water Resources Act (WHG), which sets standards for discharge quality and monitoring. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Ems River basin. The Ems flows northward through Lower Saxony into the North Sea, supporting diverse aquatic life and serving as an important ecological corridor in the region.
Environmental context
The Horstel plant discharges into the Ems River basin, which flows through the lowlands of northwestern Germany before reaching the Dollart estuary and the North Sea. The Ems is a regulated river that supports a variety of fish species and provides habitat for migratory birds. The downstream environment includes sensitive wetland areas that benefit from effective nutrient removal to prevent eutrophication.
Frequently asked questions
The Horstel wastewater treatment plant is located in Hörstel, a town in the Steinfurt district of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
The plant serves a population equivalent of approximately 26,000, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU standards.
The plant discharges treated wastewater into the local water system, which flows into the Ems River basin and eventually reaches the North Sea.
As a medium agglomeration (10,000-150,000 PE), the plant is required to provide secondary treatment under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC).
German plants of this scale typically employ secondary biological treatment, often with nutrient removal to meet stringent national discharge standards under the Water Resources Act.
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