CHARMES Wastewater Treatment Plant, Charmes, Grand Est, France

The CHARMES wastewater treatment plant is located in Charmes, a commune in the Vosges department of Grand Est, France. It serves a population of approximately 4,869 residents, making it a small to medium-sized municipal facility. The plant is situated inland, far from coastal waters, and discharges treated effluent into the local watershed. 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 7,600 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 868.62 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variability. The advanced treatment level ensures high-quality effluent suitable for sensitive receiving environments. The treated wastewater from CHARMES ultimately drains into the Moselle River basin, which flows northward through the Grand Est region into Germany and Luxembourg before joining the Rhine. The plant plays a key role in protecting the local waterways and the broader Rhine ecosystem, supporting aquatic life and downstream water quality.

The CHARMES plant discharges into the Moselle River basin, a tributary of the Rhine River. The Moselle flows through the Grand Est region and eventually joins the Rhine at Koblenz, Germany. The Rhine is a major European waterway supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and providing drinking water for millions. The advanced treatment at CHARMES helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting the Moselle and Rhine from eutrophication and contamination.