Etangs Aerés Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saint-Joseph-de-Coleraine, Québec

Etangs Aerés is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Saint-Joseph-de-Coleraine, a small community in the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Québec, Canada. The plant provides secondary treatment for a population of about 1,571 residents, reflecting its role in managing local domestic wastewater. As a secondary treatment facility, Etangs Aerés meets the standard required under Canadian federal and provincial regulations for communities of this size. In Canada, wastewater treatment is governed by the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) under the Fisheries Act, which mandates secondary treatment or equivalent for most systems. The plant's operational status indicates it is actively serving the community. The treated effluent from Etangs Aerés is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the St. Lawrence River watershed. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a larger ecosystem that includes the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf. Proper treatment helps protect downstream water quality and ecological health.

The plant discharges into the Chaudière River basin, which flows northward to the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence River is a major waterway supporting diverse fish species and migratory birds. The region's aquatic ecosystems benefit from secondary treatment that reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive watershed.