Overview
Trausnitz wastewater treatment plant in Stein, Bavaria, Germany, serves 563 people with secondary treatment. The plant is now closed, having had a designed capacity of 1,600 m³/day.
Trausnitz is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Stein, a district of the municipality of Trausnitz in Bavaria, Germany. It served a small population of 563 people, typical of a rural agglomeration. The plant is now closed, and its operational status reflects the end of its service life. The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Its designed capacity was 1,600 m³/day, with an average discharge volume of 142.48 m³/day, indicating it operated well below capacity. As a closed facility, it no longer treats wastewater. The plant's discharge likely entered local watercourses that drain into the Naab River, a tributary of the Danube, ultimately reaching the Black Sea. The surrounding region is characterized by rural and forested landscapes, with the Pfreimd River nearby, supporting local aquatic ecosystems.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge, when operational, would have entered small streams in the Pfreimd River basin, which flows into the Naab River, a major tributary of the Danube. The Danube then drains into the Black Sea, making this plant part of a vast international watershed. The local environment includes mixed agricultural and forested areas, with streams supporting fish populations and aquatic invertebrates. The closure of the plant means that wastewater from the area is now likely handled by a different facility, reducing local discharge impacts.
Frequently asked questions
The Trausnitz plant was located in Stein, a district of Trausnitz municipality, in the Bavarian district of Schwandorf, Germany.
The plant provided secondary treatment, which involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting EU standards for small agglomerations.
The plant had a designed capacity of 1,600 cubic meters per day, though its average discharge was only 142.48 m³/day, reflecting low utilization.
Under the EU UWWTD, agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 10,000 require secondary treatment. Trausnitz served 563 people (below 2,000 PE), so it was not mandated to meet the directive's strict requirements, but it still provided secondary treatment.
Wastewater from Stein is likely diverted to a larger regional treatment plant, ensuring continued compliance with German and EU wastewater standards.
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