HOUFFALIZE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Houffalize, Luxembourg Province, Belgium

The HOUFFALIZE wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Houffalize, within the Luxembourg province of Wallonia, Belgium. It serves a population of approximately 1,650 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under European Union regulations. The plant is situated on Rue de La Roche and operates as part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure for the area. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. It has a designed capacity of 3,600 m³/day and currently treats an average daily flow of about 295 m³, indicating ample reserve capacity. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Ourthe River, a tributary of the Meuse River. The Meuse flows through Belgium and the Netherlands before reaching the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the Ourthe watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and is used for recreation and drinking water supply downstream.

The HOUFFALIZE plant discharges into the Ourthe River basin, which flows into the Meuse River and eventually reaches the North Sea. The Ourthe is a salmonid river that supports diverse fish populations and is ecologically sensitive to nutrient pollution. Secondary treatment helps reduce organic load and protect the river's ecological health, particularly in the context of the EU Water Framework Directive's goals for good ecological status.