GUERIGNY Les Cables Wastewater Treatment Plant, Guérigny, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

GUERIGNY Les Cables is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Guérigny, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,882 people, making it a small agglomeration under French and EU regulations. Its designed capacity is 3,200 m³/day, with a current discharge volume of 514.14 m³/day, indicating ample reserve capacity. 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 oversight from local water agencies. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Loire River basin. The Loire is one of France's major rivers, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and providing water for agriculture and drinking water downstream. The plant's advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient loading and protect water quality in this ecologically important river system.

The plant discharges into the local watershed that feeds into the Loire River, one of France's longest rivers, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire basin supports a rich diversity of fish species, including migratory salmonids, and is an important ecological corridor. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient pollution, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters and maintain the ecological health of the Loire estuary.