Overview
Schalksmuhle wastewater treatment plant serves Schalksmühle, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, with a population equivalent of 23,564. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Schalksmuhle is a wastewater treatment plant located in Schalksmühle, a municipality in the Märkischer Kreis district of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 23,564 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations. Its location in the Volme River valley places it within the densely populated and industrialized Ruhr region. As a German plant serving over 10,000 population equivalent, Schalksmuhle is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment as a minimum standard. For agglomerations of this size in sensitive areas, more stringent treatment may be mandated. The plant's design and operational details are managed in accordance with national water laws (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz) and state-level regulations. The treated effluent from Schalksmuhle is discharged into the Volme River, a tributary of the Ruhr River, which flows into the Rhine River and ultimately reaches the North Sea. The Volme and Ruhr rivers support diverse aquatic ecosystems and are important for regional water supply and recreation. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this densely populated catchment.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Volme River, which flows into the Ruhr River, a major tributary of the Rhine. The Rhine then drains into the North Sea, making this plant part of a large international river basin. The Volme and Ruhr rivers support diverse fish populations and are used for drinking water abstraction downstream. Protecting water quality in this region is critical due to high population density and industrial activity in the Ruhr area.
Frequently asked questions
Schalksmuhle WWTP is located at 69 Volmestraße in Schalksmühle, Märkischer Kreis, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 23,564 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations.
Treated effluent from Schalksmuhle is discharged into the Volme River, which flows into the Ruhr River and then the Rhine, ultimately reaching the North Sea.
As a German plant serving over 10,000 people, Schalksmuhle operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment and potentially more stringent measures in sensitive areas.
Under the EU UWWTD, plants serving between 10,000 and 100,000 population equivalent are required to have at least secondary treatment. In sensitive areas like the Rhine basin, tertiary treatment for nutrient removal is often required.
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