Etangs Aeres Laterriere Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saguenay, Quebec

Etangs Aeres Laterriere is a secondary wastewater treatment facility located in the Laterriere district of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. The plant serves a population of 1,138 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) and provincial Quebec environmental standards. As a small-scale municipal plant, it provides essential treatment for local domestic wastewater. The plant employs secondary treatment processes, which involve biological degradation of organic matter to reduce biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. The plant's discharge volume of 510.90 cubic meters per day indicates it is sized appropriately for its service population. Canadian wastewater facilities of this scale are typically subject to provincial permits that mandate effluent quality standards aligned with federal guidelines. The treated effluent from Etangs Aeres Laterriere is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Saguenay River and then into the St. Lawrence Estuary. This region is ecologically significant, supporting diverse aquatic life and serving as a critical habitat for migratory fish species. The plant's operation helps protect downstream water quality in this sensitive boreal ecosystem.

The plant discharges into the Saguenay River watershed, which flows into the St. Lawrence Estuary, a major ecological zone in eastern Canada. The estuary supports diverse marine life, including beluga whales and various fish species, and is an important migratory corridor for birds. The secondary treatment provided by the plant helps reduce nutrient and organic pollutant loads, mitigating eutrophication risks in the downstream aquatic environment.