Overview
Schauenburg _ Breitenbach wastewater treatment plant serves the town of Breitenbach in Hessen, Germany, with a population equivalent of 4,700. The facility operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The Schauenburg _ Breitenbach wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Breitenbach, within the municipality of Schauenburg in the Landkreis Kassel district of Hessen, Germany. Serving a population equivalent of approximately 4,700, this facility is part of the region's municipal wastewater infrastructure. As a German plant serving a population under 10,000, it falls under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment based on the sensitivity of the receiving waters. For smaller agglomerations, secondary treatment is typically mandated unless the discharge is into less sensitive areas. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Weser River basin, contributing to the broader hydrological network of central Germany. The surrounding region is characterized by mixed agricultural and forested landscapes, with the plant playing a key role in protecting local water quality.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into small streams that flow into the Eder River, a tributary of the Fulda River, which joins the Weser River before reaching the North Sea. The Weser basin supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as salmon and trout, and is an important ecological corridor in central Germany. The plant's treatment performance is critical to maintaining water quality in this sensitive river system.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located at L 3220 in Breitenbach, Schauenburg, Landkreis Kassel, Hessen, Germany.
The plant serves a population equivalent of approximately 4,700 people.
The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that flow into the Eder River, part of the Weser River basin, ultimately reaching the North Sea.
As a German plant serving fewer than 10,000 people, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size unless the receiving waters are less sensitive.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, plants serving between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent are generally required to provide secondary treatment, which involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids.
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