CHANGE Route d Yvre Wastewater Treatment Plant, Changé, Pays de la Loire

The CHANGE Route d Yvre wastewater treatment plant is located in Changé, a commune in the Sarthe department of the Pays de la Loire region, France. The facility serves a population of approximately 4,350 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under French and European 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 5,330 cubic meters per day and an average daily discharge of 776 cubic meters, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Sarthe River, a tributary of the Loire River. The Loire is one of France's longest rivers and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the ecological health of the Sarthe and Loire rivers, supporting aquatic life and downstream water quality.

The plant discharges into the Sarthe River basin, which flows into the Loire River, the longest river in France. The Loire estuary is an ecologically sensitive area that supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish species such as Atlantic salmon and European eel. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading and protect the downstream riverine and estuarine ecosystems.