Benken Wastewater Treatment Plant, Benken (SG), St. Gallen, Switzerland

The Benken wastewater treatment plant is located in Benken (SG), a municipality in the Wahlkreis See-Gaster district of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The facility serves a population of approximately 2,693 residents, making it a small-scale municipal treatment plant in the Swiss wastewater infrastructure. As a Swiss plant, it operates under the national Water Protection Act (Gewässerschutzgesetz), which implements the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive standards. For small agglomerations like Benken, secondary treatment is typically required, with additional nutrient removal if discharging into sensitive water bodies. The plant is located within 10 km of the coast, indicating its treated effluent likely discharges into a water body that flows to a lake or sea. The receiving water body is not named, but the region drains into the Linth Canal and ultimately Lake Zurich, a sensitive aquatic ecosystem that supports diverse wildlife and recreational activities.

The plant's discharge likely enters the local drainage network, which flows into the Linth Canal and then Lake Zurich. Lake Zurich is a large, deep lake that provides drinking water and supports a variety of fish species and aquatic plants. The lake's ecological health depends on effective nutrient removal to prevent eutrophication, making treatment standards critical for downstream water quality.