KA Pausa Wastewater Treatment Plant, Unterreichenau, Saxony, Germany

KA Pausa is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Unterreichenau, a district of Pausa-Mühltroff in the Vogtlandkreis region of Saxony, Germany. The plant serves a population of around 2,700 and has a designed capacity of 4,000 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 322.65 m³/day. As an advanced treatment facility, KA Pausa goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which is typical for plants in sensitive catchment areas under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For agglomerations of this size (2,700 PE), the directive requires secondary treatment, but Germany often implements tertiary or advanced treatment to protect water quality in its river basins. The plant discharges treated effluent into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Elbe River basin, which flows into the North Sea. The Vogtland region is characterized by rolling hills and small rivers, and the plant plays a key role in maintaining the ecological health of these streams, which support diverse aquatic life and are important for regional biodiversity.

KA Pausa discharges into small streams in the Vogtland region, which are part of the Elbe River basin. The Elbe flows through Germany and the Czech Republic before reaching the North Sea. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality in sensitive freshwater ecosystems that support fish populations and aquatic invertebrates. The region's streams are important for local biodiversity and recreational use.