Overview
Clairvaux-les-Lacs wastewater treatment plant in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France, serves 3,000 people with advanced treatment and a designed capacity of 6,550 m³/day.
The Clairvaux-les-Lacs wastewater treatment plant is located in the commune of Clairvaux-les-Lacs, within the Jura department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. It serves a population of approximately 3,000 residents, reflecting its role as a small municipal facility in a rural setting. 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. Its designed capacity of 6,550 m³/day indicates ample headroom for future growth, with current discharge volumes around 535 m³/day. Treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Ain River, a tributary of the Rhône. This region is known for its lakes and karst landscapes, making water quality protection critical for both ecological and recreational uses. The advanced treatment helps safeguard downstream aquatic habitats and supports the broader Rhône basin ecosystem.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters the local hydrographic network, which flows into the Ain River and then the Rhône River before reaching the Mediterranean Sea. The Jura region features numerous lakes and wetlands that support diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as brown trout and grayling. Advanced treatment reduces nutrient loading, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream water bodies and maintaining the ecological integrity of this sensitive karst environment.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Clairvaux-les-Lacs, in the Jura department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France, at the address C 5, La Vieille Foule.
The plant serves approximately 3,000 residents, making it a small municipal facility.
The plant uses advanced treatment processes, which provide a higher level of purification than secondary treatment, reducing nutrients and contaminants before discharge.
The plant's treated effluent flows into local streams that feed the Ain River, a major tributary of the Rhône, ultimately reaching the Mediterranean Sea.
As a French facility, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations over 2,000 population equivalent. The plant's advanced treatment exceeds this standard.
Nearby plants