MARKTBERGEL Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ottenhofen, Bavaria

The MARKTBERGEL wastewater treatment plant is located in Ottenhofen, a district of Marktbergel in the Bavarian region of Germany. It serves a small population of 1,338 and is classified as a secondary treatment facility. The plant is currently closed. As a German plant, it operated under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations with a population equivalent above 2,000. Although this plant serves fewer than 2,000 people, it still provided secondary treatment, meeting the directive's standards for smaller communities. The designed capacity was 3,000 cubic meters per day, with an actual discharge volume of 338.62 cubic meters per day. The plant's treated effluent was discharged into local water bodies that eventually drain into the Rhine River basin. The region is characterized by agricultural land and small settlements, and the plant played a role in protecting local streams and groundwater from nutrient pollution.

The plant discharged into small streams in the Franconian region of Bavaria, which flow into the Regnitz River and ultimately the Rhine River. The Rhine basin supports diverse aquatic life and is a critical water resource for Europe. The plant's secondary treatment helped reduce organic pollutants and nutrients, protecting downstream ecosystems from eutrophication.