Westerburg Gemunden Hartlingen Wastewater Treatment Plant, Gemünden, Germany

The Westerburg Gemunden Hartlingen wastewater treatment plant is located in Gemünden, a municipality in the Westerwaldkreis district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 17,272 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations. As a German wastewater facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 10,000 and 150,000. The directive also mandates more stringent treatment if the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas. The regulatory framework ensures compliance with national standards. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Rhine River basin. The Rhine is one of Europe's major rivers, flowing through Germany and into the North Sea. The plant plays a role in protecting the water quality of the regional watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and is important for downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into local streams that are part of the Lahn River watershed, a tributary of the Rhine. The Rhine basin is a major European waterway that flows into the North Sea, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and serving as a critical habitat for migratory fish species. The region's water quality is managed under the EU Water Framework Directive, which aims to achieve good ecological status for all water bodies.