SKA Lorch Waldhausen Lorch Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lorch, Germany

SKA Lorch Waldhausen Lorch is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the Waldhausen district of Lorch, a town in the Ostalbkreis district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 14,950 people, placing it in the medium agglomeration category under EU classification. As a German wastewater treatment facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. German federal and state regulations further enforce strict effluent standards to protect water quality in the region. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Rems River, a tributary of the Neckar River, and then into the Rhine River basin. The Rhine is a major European waterway that flows into the North Sea, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and providing drinking water for millions.

The plant's treated effluent enters the local drainage network that flows into the Rems River, a tributary of the Neckar River, which is part of the larger Rhine River basin. The Rhine ultimately discharges into the North Sea. The Rems and Neckar rivers support diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as barbel and chub, and are important for regional biodiversity. The plant's location in Baden-Württemberg places it within a region with sensitive water bodies that require stringent nutrient removal to prevent eutrophication.