Overview
Waldbrunn Strumpfelbrunn wastewater treatment plant in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, serves 1,900 people with secondary treatment. The plant is now closed and discharged 480.84 m³/day into local waters.
Waldbrunn Strumpfelbrunn is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Strümpfelbrunn, a district of Waldbrunn in the Neckar-Odenwald district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The plant served a population of approximately 1,900 people and operated with secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size. The plant had a designed capacity of 2,400 m³/day and a recorded discharge volume of 480.84 m³/day before its closure. As a German facility, the plant operated under the national implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for all inland agglomerations above 2,000 population equivalent. For smaller communities like Strümpfelbrunn, secondary treatment ensures sufficient removal of organic matter and suspended solids to protect receiving waters. The plant's closure may reflect consolidation of wastewater services into larger regional facilities. The treated effluent from the plant was discharged into local streams that drain into the Neckar River, a major tributary of the Rhine. The Neckar flows through the densely populated and industrial region of Baden-Württemberg before joining the Rhine near Mannheim. The Rhine ultimately discharges into the North Sea, making this plant part of a large international river basin that supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and provides drinking water for millions.
Environmental context
The plant discharged into small watercourses in the Neckar-Odenwald region, which flow into the Neckar River and then the Rhine. The Neckar basin supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as barbel and chub, and is an important corridor for migratory fish. Downstream, the Rhine is a major European waterway with significant ecological value, hosting protected habitats for birds and aquatic species. The plant's secondary treatment helped reduce organic pollution entering this sensitive river system.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Strümpfelbrunn, a district of Waldbrunn in the Neckar-Odenwald district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The plant served approximately 1,900 people in the Strümpfelbrunn area.
The plant discharged treated effluent into local streams that flow into the Neckar River, a tributary of the Rhine.
The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size.
The plant is listed as closed, which may reflect consolidation of wastewater services into larger regional facilities, a common practice in Germany to improve efficiency and meet stricter environmental standards.
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