Nurnberg I Wastewater Treatment Plant, Nürnberg, Bavaria

Nurnberg I is a large-scale wastewater treatment facility located in Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany, serving a population of over 900,000. As a key component of the city's infrastructure, it handles wastewater from a densely populated urban area in the Franconia region. The plant operates under the stringent requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates advanced treatment for agglomerations larger than 150,000 population equivalents. For a plant of this scale, tertiary treatment is typically required to protect sensitive receiving waters, ensuring high effluent quality. Treated wastewater from Nurnberg I is discharged into the Pegnitz River, which flows through Nürnberg and eventually joins the Regnitz and Main rivers, draining into the Rhine basin. This waterway supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in Bavaria.

The plant discharges into the Pegnitz River, a tributary of the Regnitz and Main rivers, which ultimately flows into the Rhine. The Rhine basin is a major European watershed supporting diverse ecosystems and providing drinking water for millions. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect water quality in this sensitive river system, which is home to species such as the European eel and various migratory fish.