Overview
Ustersbach wastewater treatment plant in Mödishofen, Bavaria, Germany, serves about 11,233 people with advanced treatment. It discharges 670.12 m³/day and has a designed capacity of 12,000 m³/day.
The Ustersbach wastewater treatment plant is located in Mödishofen, a district of Ustersbach in the Bavarian administrative region of Swabia, Germany. The facility serves a population equivalent of approximately 11,233, placing it in the medium-agglomeration category under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU UWWTD for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 12,000 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 670.12 m³/day, the plant operates well within its capacity, indicating robust infrastructure for current loads. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Danube River basin via the Schmutter and Lech rivers. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the sensitive aquatic ecosystems of the Danube catchment, supporting biodiversity and water quality downstream.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Schmutter River, a tributary of the Lech, which flows into the Danube. The Danube basin is a major European watershed supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory fish species. The advanced treatment at Ustersbach reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream lakes and the Black Sea.
Frequently asked questions
The Ustersbach wastewater treatment plant is located in Mödishofen, a district of Ustersbach in the Bavarian administrative region of Swabia, Germany. The address is Dinkelscherbener Straße, Baschenegg, Mödishofen, Ustersbach, Gessertshausen, Landkreis Augsburg, Bayern, 86514.
The Ustersbach plant provides advanced treatment, which includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) in addition to secondary biological treatment. This level exceeds the minimum secondary treatment requirement under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size.
The treated wastewater is discharged into local watercourses that flow into the Schmutter River, a tributary of the Lech, which eventually joins the Danube River. The advanced treatment ensures that the effluent meets strict quality standards before release.
As a German wastewater treatment plant, Ustersbach operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), transposed into German national law via the Water Resources Act (WHG) and the Wastewater Ordinance (AbwV). The plant must comply with discharge limits for organic matter, nutrients, and other parameters.
In Germany, plants serving agglomerations between 10,000 and 100,000 population equivalent are typically required to provide secondary treatment (biological) as a minimum. However, many plants in sensitive areas, such as those draining into the Danube basin, implement advanced treatment with nutrient removal to meet stricter environmental standards.
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