FOUGEROLLES haute saone Wastewater Treatment Plant, Fougerolles-Saint-Valbert, France

FOUGEROLLES haute saone is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Fougerolles-Saint-Valbert, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France. The plant serves a population of 1,257 and has a designed capacity of 3,333 m³/day, with an average discharge volume of 224.25 m³/day. It is situated inland, away from coastal areas, and treats municipal wastewater from the local community. 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 that transpose EU directives, ensuring high environmental standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Saône River basin, part of the larger Rhône-Mediterranean watershed. The plant plays a key role in maintaining water quality in the region, supporting aquatic life and downstream ecosystems. Its advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in receiving waters.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Saône River, a major tributary of the Rhône River, which eventually reaches the Mediterranean Sea. The Saône basin supports diverse aquatic habitats and is important for regional biodiversity. Advanced treatment at this plant helps minimize nutrient pollution, protecting downstream water quality and ecological balance in the watershed.