LE BREUIL SUR COUZE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Nonette-Orsonnette, France

LE BREUIL SUR COUZE is a wastewater treatment plant located in Nonette-Orsonnette, within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,544 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under French and EU regulations. Its designed capacity is 2,700 m³/day, with an average discharge volume of 453.85 m³/day. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, ensuring compliance with EU effluent standards. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Allier River, a major tributary of the Loire River. The Loire flows into the Atlantic Ocean, making this plant part of a larger river basin that supports diverse aquatic ecosystems. The plant's inland location reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the Loire basin.

The plant discharges into the Allier River basin, which flows into the Loire River, one of France's longest rivers, before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire basin is ecologically significant, supporting diverse fish species and migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this sensitive freshwater environment.