Petersaurach Wastewater Treatment Plant, Altendettelsau, Bavaria

The Petersaurach wastewater treatment plant is located in Altendettelsau, a district of Petersaurach in the Landkreis Ansbach, Bavaria, Germany. The facility serves a population of 2,333 and operates with advanced treatment technology, ensuring high-quality effluent before discharge. As a German plant serving a small agglomeration, it is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment as a minimum. The plant's advanced treatment level exceeds this requirement, likely incorporating nutrient removal to protect sensitive receiving waters. The designed capacity of 4,000 m³/day indicates headroom for future growth, with current discharge averaging 727.99 m³/day. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Rhine River basin via the Main and Regnitz rivers. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a larger watershed that flows to the North Sea. The plant's advanced treatment helps maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive area.

The plant discharges into small streams that feed into the Regnitz River, a tributary of the Main, which flows into the Rhine and eventually the North Sea. This watershed supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish spawning grounds and migratory corridors. The advanced treatment level helps minimize nutrient loading, protecting downstream water quality in this agriculturally influenced region of Bavaria.