Iggingen brings sewage treatment plant into shape: right of first refusal decided!

Iggingen brings sewage treatment plant into shape: right of first refusal decided!

On May 29, 2025, the Iggingen municipal council met to discuss several important topics. Under the leadership of Mayor Tobias Feldmeyer, the right of first refusal for central areas of the town center was on the agenda. This right of first refusal only applies to sales to third parties and not to inheritances, which is important for the future development of the district. Furthermore, the decision was passed unanimously to connect the community's wastewater to the sewage treatment plant in Gmünd.

Iggingen, with a population of around 2,600 residents, has an existing contract that covers a connection up to a population of 3,000. The meeting also discussed the costs and investments in the Gmünder sewage treatment plant, as the municipality has to raise the necessary financial resources to implement the connection. What is particularly noteworthy is that Iggingen receives 3.3 million euros in state funding for this connection.

Changes in the newsletter

Another point of the meeting was the future of the Igginger newsletter. There is a change from Blaufeldener Krieger-Verlag to Gmünder Einhorn-Verlag. The latter offers a digital version and promotes networking with neighboring communities, which could improve communication within the community and with neighboring communities. In addition, the new electricity supply contract with Energie Ostwürttemberg Donau-Ries was presented, which is valid for four years and entails additional annual costs of around 14,000 euros.

A resident expressed concerns about traffic calming in Pfalzgasse. However, the mayor referred to the district office's responsibility in this matter. Furthermore, a building application for a workshop in Bainkofen requires additional consultations, with the focus being on green roofs.

Future challenges for sewage treatment plants

Parallel to the developments in Iggingen, other communities in the Ostalbkreis are also facing challenges. For example, the municipality of Ruppertshofen must retrofit its sewage treatment plant in order to achieve the required cleaning performance by 2028. The investment costs were originally estimated by Mayor Peter Kühnl at around 10 million euros, but are currently estimated to be between 16 and 20 million euros. This significantly exceeds the municipality's previous expenditure over the past 17 years.

The municipality of Waldstetten is also examining the connection to a collective sewage treatment plant in order to meet the new requirements for wastewater treatment. A structural report even recommends shutting down the Waldstetten sewage treatment plant and connecting it to the Gmünder plant. This means that the connection could take place by the end of 2026, which would significantly increase the efficiency of wastewater treatment.

Overall, according to estimates, numerous smaller sewage treatment plants are affected across the country, which have to be shut down and connected to larger plants due to the strict regulations. This is part of a comprehensive plan to improve wastewater treatment and water protection in Baden-Württemberg, which is supported by District President Susanne Bay and State Environment Minister Thekla Walker. Measures to reduce phosphorus loads and eliminate trace substances are already being implemented in many of the more than 850 municipal sewage treatment plants in the country.

For the municipality of Iggingen, the connection to the Gmünd sewage treatment plant means a significant improvement in infrastructure and environmental standards, while the municipalities of Ruppertshofen and Waldstetten are faced with the challenge of modernizing their existing plants or connecting them to larger systems.

For further information on the developments in Iggingen read Gmünder daily post and Rem newspaper.