CUSSAC SUR LOIRE Le Bourg Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cussac-sur-Loire, France

CUSSAC SUR LOIRE Le Bourg is a wastewater treatment plant located in Cussac-sur-Loire, a commune in the Haute-Loire department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in central France. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,318 people and has a designed capacity of 3,350 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 591.93 cubic meters per day. 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. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters. As a French facility, it operates under national regulations transposing the EU directive, with permits issued by the local water agency (Agence de l'Eau). The treated effluent is discharged into the Loire River basin, as Cussac-sur-Loire lies near the headwaters of the Loire. The Loire is the longest river in France, flowing over 1,000 kilometers to the Atlantic Ocean. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the upper Loire ecosystem, which supports diverse aquatic life and is an important water resource for the region.

The plant discharges into the Loire River basin, near the river's headwaters in the Massif Central. The Loire flows north and west through central France before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at the Bay of Biscay. The upper Loire is a relatively pristine river supporting diverse fish populations, including salmonids, and is an important corridor for migratory species. Advanced treatment at this plant helps maintain water quality in this sensitive headwater region.