Let's Embrace the Fourth Stage: Crucial Upgrade for Wastewater Treatment Plants in Hesse for Enhanced Water Quality
Additional Stage in Sewage Treatment Plant Cleaning Procedure is Essential - Importance of the Final Cleaning Process in Wastewater Treatment Plants, According to an Expert
Wastewater treatment plants in Hesse could witness an immense improvement in filtration, thanks to an additional fourth cleansing stage. This innovative approach can help eliminate residues like pharmaceuticals or pesticides from wastewater. However, progress in implementing this stage has been slow in Hesse so far.
What gives this idea wings?
The revised European Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) could provide the necessary push for select municipal wastewater treatment plants to integrate the fourth stage in the future. Factors such as population numbers and protected areas in the vicinity play a crucial role in the decision.
Pioneers leading the way
The Mörfelden-Walldorf wastewater treatment plant, as well as the Merck wastewater treatment plant, have already implemented the fourth cleansing stage. As of April 2025, the Bickenbach wastewater treatment plant on the Bergstraße has also joined their ranks according to the Ministry of the Environment. Meanwhile, six additional wastewater treatment plants in the Hessian Ried are in the planning phase.
The conventional three-stage cleansing
In the first three stages, solid waste, such as toilet paper or food particles, is removed. In the second stage, biological treatment, bacteria and microorganisms help break down organic components. In the third stage, chemical-physical treatment, the primary focus is phosphorus removal.
The costly upgrade path
Water expert Rolf Leonhardt from the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) in Wiesbaden noted that it's crucial to convince the population, municipalities, and treatment plant operators of the benefits of a fourth cleansing stage for both the environment and human health. Financial constraints often prevent municipalities from footing the bill alone, necessitating funding.
The hidden threats to drinking water
Trace substances are not just detrimental to water organisms, but they also complicate the treatment process for drinking water from groundwater, increased costs being borne by consumers. The introduction of a fourth cleansing stage has the potential to reduce these trace substances by up to 80%, benefiting both water quality and the protection of clean drinking water.
- Cleansing stage
- Wastewater treatment plant
- Wiesbaden
- Pharmaceuticals
- Pesticide
- Water quality
- Hesse
- EU
- Mörfelden-Walldorf
- Merck KGaA
Insights:
- The fourth cleansing stage is a highly effective method for reducing micropollutants like pharmaceuticals and pesticides in wastewater, improving the resilience of aquatic species to environmental stressors like heat stress.
- The fourth cleansing stage can help wastewater treatment plants comply with emerging EU regulations, promoting cleaner rivers, and supporting biodiversity in Hesse.
- By lowering the concentration of trace substances in treated wastewater, the fourth stage significantly enhances water quality, contributing to local economic growth and development through increased tourism.
- In light of the revised European Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD), select wastewater treatment plants in Hesse, such as those in Mörfelden-Walldorf, Merck, and Bickenbach, are integrating a fourth cleansing stage to help meet the EU's stricter standards and protect both the environment and human health.
- To further emphasize the importance of this upgrade, the fourth stage can help reduce trace substances by up to 80%, mitigating the impact of pharmaceuticals and pesticides on water quality and aiding in the preservation of clean drinking water for various health-and-wellness and nutrition purposes, as well as supporting the environmental-science and science sectors in the region.
