L'Herbergement Les Abraies Wastewater Treatment Plant, L'Herbergement, France

L'Herbergement Les Abraies is a wastewater treatment plant located in L'Herbergement, a commune in the Vendée department of the Pays de la Loire region, France. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,933 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The plant provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond the secondary treatment required by the UWWTD for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,800 m³/day and discharges an average volume of 344.84 m³/day, indicating significant reserve capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Atlantic Ocean via the Vendée River and the Bay of Biscay. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems, including the coastal waters of the Atlantic, from nutrient pollution and other contaminants.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Vendée River, which empties into the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic coast. The downstream environment includes coastal wetlands and estuaries that support diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish species. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading, protecting these sensitive ecosystems from eutrophication.