LE LARDIN ST LAZARE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Le Lardin-Saint-Lazare, France

LE LARDIN ST LAZARE is a wastewater treatment plant located in Le Lardin-Saint-Lazare, a commune in the Dordogne department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,600 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU 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 2,250 and a current discharge volume of 463.84, indicating operational headroom. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Dordogne River and then into the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. The Dordogne River is an ecologically significant watercourse supporting diverse aquatic life and is part of the larger Garonne basin.

The plant discharges into the Dordogne River basin, which flows through the Périgord region and joins the Garonne to form the Gironde estuary, a major Atlantic coastal ecosystem. The Dordogne supports diverse fish species, including Atlantic salmon and European eel, and its waters are used for recreation and agriculture. Advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient loading, protecting downstream water quality and the sensitive estuarine environment.