THULIN Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hensies, Hainaut, Belgium

THULIN is a wastewater treatment plant located in the town of Thulin, part of the municipality of Hensies, in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,662 people and operates under secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required for smaller agglomerations under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. With a designed capacity of 2,500 cubic meters per day and an average daily discharge volume of 297.08 cubic meters, the plant operates well below its capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, it removes organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the effluent quality standards set by the directive for inland freshwater bodies. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Scheldt River basin, which flows through Belgium and the Netherlands into the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the region's rivers and downstream ecosystems, supporting aquatic life and preventing eutrophication in the North Sea.

The plant discharges into the local river system within the Scheldt River basin, which flows through Belgium and the Netherlands before reaching the North Sea. The Scheldt estuary is an ecologically important area that supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish species. Secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollution and nutrient loads, protecting downstream water quality and the sensitive coastal environment of the North Sea.