AIGUILLON Wastewater Treatment Plant, Aiguillon, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

The AIGUILLON wastewater treatment plant is located in Aiguillon, a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. The facility serves a population of approximately 4,400 residents, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category under French wastewater regulations. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 4,666.00 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 784.95 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. Treated effluent from the plant is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Garonne River via the Lot River. The Garonne flows into the Gironde estuary and then the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of these downstream water bodies, supporting aquatic life and regional ecological health.

The plant discharges into the local river system, which feeds into the Lot River, a major tributary of the Garonne River. The Garonne flows through southwestern France into the Gironde estuary, a large estuary that supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish species such as Atlantic salmon and European eel. The advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream ecosystems.