St Goar Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sankt Goar, Germany

The St Goar wastewater treatment plant is located in Sankt Goar, a town in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 5,079 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). It is situated near the Rhine River, a major European waterway. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU UWWTD for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The designed capacity is 5,750 cubic meters per day, with an actual discharge volume of 856.12 cubic meters per day, indicating operational headroom. As a German facility, it operates under the national implementation of the EU directive, enforced by the state authority of Rhineland-Palatinate. The treated effluent is discharged into the Rhine River basin, which flows through Germany and the Netherlands before reaching the North Sea. The Rhine supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish species. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollution and protect the river's ecological health.

The plant discharges into the Rhine River basin, which drains into the North Sea via the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. The Rhine is a major European river supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems, including migratory fish such as salmon and eel. The surrounding region is characterized by the Middle Rhine Valley, a culturally and ecologically significant area with steep vineyards and mixed forests. The plant's secondary treatment helps mitigate nutrient and organic pollution, contributing to the overall water quality of the Rhine.