KA BREITNAU ODENBACH Wastewater Treatment Plant, Breitnau, Germany

KA BREITNAU ODENBACH is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Breitnau, a municipality in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The plant served a small population of 1,750 people and had a designed capacity of 2,500 cubic meters per day. It is now closed and no longer operational. The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive mandates secondary treatment for all discharges from agglomerations with a population equivalent above 2,000, though smaller plants like this one may have been subject to national regulations. The plant's discharge volume was recorded at 442.88 cubic meters per day. Given its location in the Black Forest region, treated effluent likely drained into local streams feeding the Dreisam River, which flows into the Rhine River and eventually the North Sea. The closure of the plant suggests that wastewater from Breitnau is now treated at a larger regional facility, improving treatment efficiency and environmental protection.

The plant is situated in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg, an area characterized by numerous small streams and rivers. The nearest major watercourse is the Dreisam River, which flows through the region and joins the Rhine River near Breisach. The Rhine then drains into the North Sea. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is ecologically sensitive due to the forested terrain and tourism. The closure of this plant likely reduces local nutrient and pollutant loads, benefiting downstream water quality.