Overview
Maasholm wastewater treatment plant in Exhöft, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, serves 1,950 people with advanced treatment. It is now closed, with a design capacity of 2,500 m³/day and discharge volume of 493.5 m³/day.
The Maasholm wastewater treatment plant is located in Exhöft, a locality near Maasholm in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It serves a small population of 1,950 people and is situated in the Geltinger Bucht area along the Baltic Sea coast. The plant is currently closed, but its infrastructure reflects the scale of a small coastal community. The plant was designed with an advanced treatment level, which goes beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Its design capacity was 2,500 m³/day, and it discharged an average of 493.5 m³/day. The advanced treatment likely included nutrient removal to protect the sensitive coastal environment of the Baltic Sea, which is designated as a sensitive area under the directive. The plant discharged treated wastewater into the Geltinger Bucht, a bay of the Baltic Sea. This coastal region supports diverse marine life and is an important area for migratory birds. The advanced treatment helped minimize nutrient inputs that could contribute to eutrophication in the Baltic Sea, a long-standing environmental concern for the region.
Environmental context
The plant discharged into the Geltinger Bucht, a coastal inlet of the Baltic Sea in Schleswig-Holstein. The Baltic Sea is a brackish water body with limited water exchange, making it vulnerable to nutrient pollution. Advanced treatment at this plant helped reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads, protecting local marine ecosystems and supporting the ecological health of the broader Baltic Sea basin.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Exhöft, near Maasholm, in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, along the Geltinger Bucht on the Baltic Sea coast.
The plant provided advanced treatment, which includes nutrient removal, and had a design capacity of 2,500 m³/day. It discharged an average of 493.5 m³/day.
The treated wastewater was discharged into the Geltinger Bucht, a coastal bay of the Baltic Sea, after undergoing advanced treatment to protect the sensitive marine environment.
Under the EU UWWTD, agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) of 2,000 to 10,000 require secondary treatment. Maasholm served 1,950 people (approx. 2,340 PE) and provided advanced treatment, exceeding the directive's minimum requirements for sensitive coastal areas like the Baltic Sea.
In Germany, small wastewater treatment plants serving about 2,000 people typically employ secondary biological treatment, often with nutrient removal if discharging into sensitive waters. Advanced treatment, as at Maasholm, is common for coastal plants to meet strict effluent standards under the German Water Resources Act.
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