Overview
Kranichfeld wastewater treatment plant serves the town of Kranichfeld near Bad Berka in Thüringen, Germany. It treats wastewater for approximately 5,375 people under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The Kranichfeld wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Kranichfeld, part of the Bad Berka municipality in the Landkreis Weimarer Land district of Thüringen, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 5,375 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations. As a German facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The directive also mandates appropriate treatment before discharge into inland waters, ensuring compliance with national water quality standards. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the local water system, which ultimately flows into the Ilm River, a tributary of the Saale River, and then into the Elbe River before reaching the North Sea. This downstream chain supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in central Germany.
Environmental context
The Kranichfeld plant discharges into the Ilm River basin, which flows into the Saale River, a major tributary of the Elbe River. The Elbe drains into the North Sea, supporting a variety of freshwater and estuarine habitats. The region's water bodies are ecologically sensitive, providing habitat for fish species such as the European eel and various migratory birds. Proper wastewater treatment is essential to maintain water quality and protect these ecosystems.
Frequently asked questions
The Kranichfeld wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Kranichfeld, near Bad Berka, in the Landkreis Weimarer Land district of Thüringen, Germany.
The plant serves approximately 5,375 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated wastewater is discharged into the local water system, which flows into the Ilm River, then the Saale and Elbe rivers, eventually reaching the North Sea.
As a German plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size.
Under the EU UWWTD, plants serving 2,000 to 10,000 population equivalents are required to have secondary treatment, which typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and nutrients.
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