Bellegarde Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ouzouer-sous-Bellegarde, Centre-Val de Loire

The Bellegarde wastewater treatment plant is located in Ouzouer-sous-Bellegarde, a commune in the Loiret department of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It serves a population of approximately 4,945 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under French and EU 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. Its designed capacity is 4,200 m³/day, and it currently treats an average daily volume of 882.18 m³, indicating ample reserve capacity. Treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Loire River basin. The Loire is one of France's major rivers, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and providing water for agriculture and recreation. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this ecologically significant basin.

The plant discharges into the Loire River basin, a major French watershed that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish species such as salmon and eels. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient and pollutant loads, helping to maintain water quality in the river and its downstream estuary.