ARLEUX Wastewater Treatment Plant, Arleux, Hauts-de-France, France

The ARLEUX wastewater treatment plant serves the commune of Arleux in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. Located on Chemin des Biselles, this facility is part of the municipal infrastructure managed under French water regulations. The plant serves a population equivalent of 4,900, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU UWWTD for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 7,050 m³/day and an average daily discharge volume of 874.15 m³/day, the facility operates well within its capacity. The advanced treatment level ensures high-quality effluent suitable for discharge into sensitive environments. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Sensée River, a tributary of the Escaut (Scheldt) River, which flows through Belgium and into the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the Sensée watershed and downstream aquatic ecosystems, including the Scheldt estuary, which supports diverse fish and bird populations.

The ARLEUX plant discharges into the Sensée River, which flows into the Escaut (Scheldt) River, eventually reaching the North Sea. The Sensée watershed is part of the Scheldt basin, an ecologically important area that supports migratory fish species and wetland habitats. The advanced treatment level helps protect downstream water quality in this transboundary river system.