Kinding OT Pfraundorf Kratzmuhle Wastewater Treatment Plant, Kratzmühle, Bavaria

Kinding OT Pfraundorf Kratzmuhle is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Kratzmühle, a district of Kinding in the Eichstätt district of Bavaria, Germany. The plant served a population of 1,700 and had a designed capacity of 2,400 m³/day, with an average discharge volume of 430.23 m³/day. The plant provided advanced treatment, which goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations of this size typically require secondary treatment, but advanced treatment may be mandated in sensitive areas. The plant is now closed, and its wastewater is likely diverted to other facilities in the region. The plant's discharge would have entered local watercourses within the Danube basin, as Kratzmühle lies in the catchment of the Altmühl River, a tributary of the Danube. The Danube ultimately flows into the Black Sea, making this plant part of a large international river basin. The surrounding region is characterized by the Altmühl Valley Nature Park, which supports diverse aquatic and riparian habitats.

The plant is located in the Altmühl River basin, part of the Danube catchment that drains into the Black Sea. The Altmühl Valley is an ecologically sensitive area with diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as grayling and brown trout. The advanced treatment provided by the plant would have helped protect water quality in this important migratory corridor and downstream ecosystems.