Maierhofen Wastewater Treatment Plant, Riedholz, Bayern

Maierhofen wastewater treatment plant is located in Riedholz, a district of Maierhöfen in the Bavarian region of Germany. The plant served a population of 1,300 and is now closed. It operated as part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure for the local community in the Argental region. The plant provided advanced treatment, which goes beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The designed capacity of 3,725 m³/day indicates the facility was built to handle a larger flow than the actual discharge of 329 m³/day, suggesting it served a growing area or had reserve capacity. The treated effluent was discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Argental valley and ultimately into the Rhine basin. The advanced treatment level helped protect the sensitive aquatic ecosystems of the region, including streams that support diverse aquatic life and contribute to the water quality of downstream rivers.

The plant discharged into the Argental watershed, which flows into the Leiblach River and then into Lake Constance (Bodensee), a major European lake. Lake Constance is a critical drinking water reservoir and supports diverse aquatic ecosystems. Advanced treatment at Maierhofen helped minimize nutrient loading and protect the lake's water quality.