Overview
FORGES wastewater treatment plant in Chimay, Hainaut, Belgium, serves a small population of 424 with secondary treatment. The plant is now closed.
FORGES is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Chimay, within the Hainaut province of Wallonia, Belgium. It served a small agglomeration of 424 people, reflecting its role in a rural community. The plant operated with secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for smaller agglomerations. As a secondary treatment facility, FORGES would have removed organic matter and suspended solids from wastewater before discharge. The plant had a designed capacity of 450 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 75.79 cubic meters per day, indicating it operated well below capacity. The plant is now closed, and its wastewater management responsibilities have likely been transferred to a neighboring facility. The plant discharged treated effluent into a local watercourse, which ultimately drains into the Meuse River basin. The Meuse flows through Belgium and the Netherlands before reaching the North Sea. The surrounding region is characterized by forests and agricultural land, and the local watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as brown trout and grayling.
Environmental context
The plant discharged into a local stream within the Meuse River basin, which flows through Belgium and the Netherlands to the North Sea. The watershed supports aquatic ecosystems including fish species like brown trout and grayling. The region's rural landscape means the plant's discharge would have had localized impacts on water quality, though the small scale and secondary treatment would have mitigated significant ecological harm.
Frequently asked questions
The FORGES plant is located at 71 Rue de Forges, Chimay, in the Hainaut province of Wallonia, Belgium.
The plant served a small population of 424 people, typical of a rural agglomeration.
The plant provided secondary treatment, which involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) of less than 2,000 are required to have appropriate treatment. The FORGES plant, serving 424 people, would have been subject to these requirements, with secondary treatment being the standard for such small communities.
The plant discharged into a local watercourse within the Meuse River basin, which flows to the North Sea. The small scale and secondary treatment helped protect local water quality and aquatic life.
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