GUTTANNEN RUEBGARTI Wastewater Treatment Plant, Guttannen, Switzerland

GUTTANNEN RUEBGARTI is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the alpine village of Guttannen, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. The plant serves a small population of 400 residents, reflecting the rural and mountainous character of the region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment stage required under Swiss water protection legislation. With a designed capacity of 875 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 181.57 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, consistent with the small population served. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Aare River, a major tributary of the Rhine. The plant plays a key role in protecting the sensitive alpine aquatic environment, which supports diverse fish populations and supplies downstream communities with clean water.

The plant discharges into a small alpine stream that flows into the Aare River, which then joins the Rhine before reaching the North Sea. The local watershed is ecologically sensitive, supporting cold-water fish species and pristine aquatic habitats. The plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality in this high-altitude environment, where dilution capacity is limited.