Schernfeld Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dollnstein, Bavaria, Germany

Schernfeld wastewater treatment plant is located in Dollnstein, a municipality in the Eichstätt district of Bavaria, Germany. The plant served a population of 1,183 and was designed with a capacity of 3,000 m³/day, though it is now closed. As a secondary treatment facility, it provided biological treatment to reduce organic pollutants before discharge. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), German treatment plants serving agglomerations of this size (under 2,000 population equivalent) are typically required to provide appropriate treatment, often secondary or equivalent. The plant's closure may reflect consolidation of wastewater services in the region. The plant's treated effluent would have discharged into local watercourses within the Danube basin, ultimately flowing into the Black Sea. The surrounding region is characterized by the Altmühl Valley, a protected landscape, and the plant's operation would have supported water quality in the local streams and the Altmühl River.

The plant's discharge would have entered the local watershed within the Danube River basin, flowing via the Altmühl River into the Danube and eventually the Black Sea. The Altmühl Valley is an ecologically sensitive area with diverse aquatic habitats, supporting species such as the European otter and various fish. The plant's secondary treatment helped protect these downstream ecosystems from organic pollution.