Overview
Lumnezia Suraua is a secondary wastewater treatment plant in Lumnezia, Graubünden, Switzerland, serving 286 people. It discharges 129.82 m³/day and has a designed capacity of 670 m³/day.
Lumnezia Suraua is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the village of Masauns, Uors, in the Lumnezia valley of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The plant serves a small population of 286 residents in this alpine region, reflecting the dispersed settlement pattern typical of the Swiss Alps. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under Swiss water protection legislation (Gewässerschutzgesetz). Swiss regulations mandate secondary treatment for all wastewater discharges to surface waters, ensuring organic matter and suspended solids are reduced to protect sensitive alpine streams. The plant's designed capacity of 670 m³/day is significantly higher than current discharge volume, indicating spare capacity for future growth or seasonal tourism peaks. The treated effluent is discharged into a local stream within the Rhine basin, ultimately flowing into the Alpine Rhine and then to Lake Constance. The Lumnezia valley is known for its pristine alpine environment, and the plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive region, supporting aquatic life and downstream uses.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a small stream in the Lumnezia valley, part of the Rhine drainage basin. The treated effluent flows via the Glenner river into the Vorderrhein and then the Alpine Rhine, eventually reaching Lake Constance. The alpine watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including brown trout and other cold-water species, and is sensitive to nutrient loading. Secondary treatment reduces organic pollution and suspended solids, protecting the ecological integrity of these high-altitude water bodies.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Masauns, Uors, in the Lumnezia valley, part of the Surselva region in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland.
The plant serves 286 people, reflecting the small, dispersed communities typical of the Swiss alpine region.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local stream within the Rhine basin, which flows via the Glenner and Vorderrhein rivers to the Alpine Rhine and eventually Lake Constance.
The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under Swiss water protection law for all discharges to surface waters.
Swiss wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the Federal Water Protection Act (Gewässerschutzgesetz). Small plants like Lumnezia Suraua must meet secondary treatment standards to protect sensitive alpine streams and downstream water bodies.
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