Lumnezia Degen Wastewater Treatment Plant - Lumnezia, Graubünden, Switzerland

Lumnezia Degen is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in the village of Degen, within the municipality of Lumnezia in the Surselva region of Graubünden, Switzerland. The plant serves a small population of 408 residents and is part of the local municipal infrastructure managed by the canton. As an advanced treatment facility, Lumnezia Degen goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants, ensuring high-quality effluent. The plant has a designed capacity of 2000 m³/day and currently discharges 185.20 m³/day of treated wastewater. Under Swiss water protection legislation (Gewässerschutzgesetz), advanced treatment is required for plants discharging into sensitive water bodies, reflecting the country's stringent environmental standards. The treated effluent from Lumnezia Degen is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Rhine River basin via the Vorderrhein. The Rhine is a major European waterway that flows into the North Sea, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and providing drinking water for millions. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect these downstream environments from nutrient pollution and other contaminants.

Lumnezia Degen discharges into the local stream network that feeds the Vorderrhein, a headwater of the Rhine River. The Rhine basin is ecologically significant, supporting salmonid fisheries and migratory fish species. The advanced treatment at this plant helps maintain water quality in this sensitive alpine watershed, which ultimately drains into the North Sea.