Overview
Winkelhaid wastewater treatment plant serves approximately 3,000 people in Penzenhofen, Bavaria, Germany. The facility operates under Germany's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Winkelhaid wastewater treatment plant is located in Penzenhofen, a district of Winkelhaid in the Nürnberger Land district of Bavaria, Germany. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,000 people, placing it in the small agglomeration category under EU regulations. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 10,000 are required to provide secondary treatment. As a German facility, the plant is subject to national water management laws that implement this directive, ensuring appropriate treatment standards are met for its scale. The plant discharges treated wastewater into local waterways that drain into the Rhine basin via the Regnitz and Main rivers. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life and are part of a region characterized by mixed agricultural and urban land use. Proper treatment is essential to protect downstream ecosystems and water quality.
Environmental context
The plant's treated effluent flows into small streams that eventually reach the Regnitz River, a tributary of the Main, which joins the Rhine. The Rhine basin is a major European watershed supporting diverse fish populations and migratory species. The local area features a mix of forests and farmland, and maintaining nutrient removal helps prevent eutrophication in downstream lakes and the North Sea.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Penzenhofen, a district of Winkelhaid in the Landkreis Nürnberger Land, Bavaria, Germany.
The plant serves approximately 3,000 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations.
Treated wastewater is discharged into local streams that flow into the Regnitz River, part of the Rhine basin.
The plant operates under Germany's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size.
For small agglomerations (2,000-10,000 PE), the EU directive mandates secondary treatment. German plants often use activated sludge or similar biological processes to meet these standards.
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