BRIOUZE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Briouze, Normandie, France

The BRIOUZE wastewater treatment plant is located in Briouze, a commune in the Orne department of Normandie, France. It serves a population of approximately 1,485 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under French and EU regulations. The plant is situated at Le Vieux Moulin along D 924A, in a rural inland setting. The facility 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 3,000 m³/day, with an average discharge volume of 264.92 m³/day, indicating ample reserve capacity. The plant operates under the French regulatory framework, which implements the EU directive through national legislation and permits issued by local authorities. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Atlantic Ocean via the Orne River and the English Channel. The plant plays a key role in protecting the region's water quality, supporting aquatic life in the downstream rivers and maintaining the ecological balance of the Normandy countryside.

The plant discharges into the local watershed, which feeds into the Orne River and eventually the English Channel. The downstream environment supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as Atlantic salmon and brown trout. The region's rivers are ecologically sensitive, and the plant's advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and protect water quality in the broader basin.