50 years of sustainability: the focus of the Bad Goisern sewage treatment plant!

50 years of sustainability: the focus of the Bad Goisern sewage treatment plant!

Hallstatt, Österreich - On June 3, 2025, the impressive summer -fresh Upper Austria will be celebrated in Vienna on Heldenplatz, where the focus is on the beauty of the Dachstein Salzkammergut. The event, which started in the early 1970s, is an important part of the regional identity and attracts numerous visitors every year. But this flourishing region had to fight serious environmental problems, especially in the Hallstättersee. Over -fertilization and the stressful wastewater disposal made bathing a challenge in the 1970s that urgently had to be addressed. On May 28, 1973, the first discussions were held with the Upper Austrian state government to sustainably improve the wastewater situation.

In 1974 the time had come: The Reinhaltungsverband for the inner Salzkammergut was launched by the municipalities of Bad Goisern, Hallstatt and Obertraun. A lot has happened since then. The construction of a sewer network began in 1975, and the main collectors of the association now lead from the Anzenau sewage treatment plant to the most important districts. In the winter of 1982/1983, a soul line was laid in the Hallstättersee, which was produced on site in Obertraun and leads to a depth of 125 meters.

modern sewage technology for a clean future

Environmental protection has top priority in the region. As early as 1989, the municipality of Gosau decided to have its wastewater treated in the association's sewage treatment plant in Bad Goisern. Today, the modernized facility, which was expanded from 2022 to 2024, processes sewage up to 33,000 inhabitants. In recent years, the sewage treatment plant has become the greatest challenge during Corona pandemic and increased inflation. Nevertheless, the projects remained on schedule: 99 % of the wastewater of the residents, guests and companies are now being disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner via the modern sewer network.

The sewage treatment plant at the ARA Bad Goisern fulfills all current European standards and has made a significant contribution to water, environmental and climate protection with investments of over 75 million euros. From the summer of 2024, the energy for the sewage treatment plants and the sewage system will be fully covered from biogas and solar energy.

extensive data on the catchment region

There is also special attention to the catchment region of the sewage treatment plant. This comprises a total area of ​​approx. 373.81 km² with a populated area of ​​around 58 km². The municipalities of Bad Goisern, Hallstatt, Obertraun and Gosau work hand in hand to secure the water quality of the Hallstättersee and the surrounding waters. The sewage treatment plant cleans the wastewater in a 3-stage process, consisting of mechanical, biological and chemical cleaning, and can process up to 180 l/s dirty water.

• inhabitants (EW): 33,000
• BSB5 Load Daily remedy 2023: 17,700 EW
• Change of daily remedy 2023: 5.136 m³/d

The systems are designed in such a way that they can work efficiently even in extreme weather conditions. The rain overflow basin has a volume of 400 m³ and the sewage treatment plant can also manage up to 180 l/s dirty water.

summarized can be said that the challenges of once are successfully mastered today. The merger of the communities and the constant modernization of sewage technology are pioneers for a clean and sustainable future of the Dachstein Salzkammergut region. As reports Salz-tv.at, this is not only noticeable, but is also an important signal for future generations.