CHALAIS BOURG Wastewater Treatment Plant, Chalais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

CHALAIS BOURG is a wastewater treatment plant located in the commune of Chalais, within the Charente department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The facility serves a population of approximately 2,030 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under French and EU regulations. Its address along D 674 places it in a rural setting near the border with the Dordogne department. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 3,400 cubic meters per day and an actual discharge volume of 362.15 cubic meters per day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. As a French municipal plant, it is subject to national water quality standards and the EU directive's requirements for sensitive areas. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Charente River, a major river in southwestern France flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. The Charente basin supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional agriculture and tourism. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality and the ecological health of the river system.

The plant discharges into local streams that feed the Charente River, which flows westward through the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Rochefort. The Charente basin is ecologically sensitive, supporting fish species such as Atlantic salmon and European eel, and providing habitat for migratory birds. Advanced treatment at this facility helps reduce nutrient loading and protects the river's water quality for downstream uses including drinking water supply and recreation.