EAUX BONNES GOURETTE Wastewater Treatment Plant - Gourette, France

EAUX BONNES GOURETTE is a wastewater treatment plant located in Gourette, a ski resort in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes, within the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The plant serves a population equivalent of 3,412, reflecting its role in managing wastewater from both permanent residents and seasonal tourists in this mountainous region. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, ensuring a high level of effluent quality before discharge. With a designed capacity of 6,500 m³/day and an average daily flow of approximately 609 m³, the facility operates well below its maximum capacity, allowing for seasonal peaks typical of ski resorts. As a French plant, it operates under national regulations transposing the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment for sensitive areas. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which drains into the Gave d'Ossau river, a tributary of the Gave d'Oloron, eventually reaching the Adour River and the Bay of Biscay. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the sensitive mountain streams and downstream aquatic ecosystems, which support diverse wildlife and are important for recreation and tourism.

The plant discharges into the Gave d'Ossau watershed, which flows into the Gave d'Oloron and then the Adour River before reaching the Bay of Biscay. This mountainous region features sensitive alpine streams that support diverse aquatic life, including salmonid fish species. The advanced treatment level helps minimize nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically important area.