Velden Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lungsdorf, Bavaria

The Velden wastewater treatment plant is located in Lungsdorf, a locality within the municipality of Hartenstein in the Nürnberger Land district of Bavaria, Germany. It serves a population of approximately 2,800 people, placing it in the small agglomeration category under German and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 3,500 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 558.44 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Pegnitz River, a tributary of the Regnitz and Main rivers, which flow into the Rhine basin. The plant's operation helps protect the local aquatic ecosystem and downstream water quality in the Rhine watershed.

The plant discharges into a small stream that feeds into the Pegnitz River, part of the Rhine basin. The Pegnitz flows through the Franconian Jura region, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing habitat for species such as the European bullhead and grayling. Downstream, the river joins the Regnitz and Main, eventually reaching the North Sea via the Rhine. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping to maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive watershed.