Le Thillot Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ramonchamp, Grand Est, France

Le Thillot wastewater treatment plant is located in Ramonchamp, a commune in the Vosges department of Grand Est, France. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,969 and has a designed capacity of 16,500 cubic meters per day, indicating it is sized to accommodate future growth or seasonal variations. 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 directive, with permits issued by the local water agency (Agence de l'Eau). The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that flows into the Moselle River basin, ultimately reaching the Rhine River and the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the Moselle watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and is used for drinking water abstraction downstream.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Moselle River, part of the Rhine basin that drains into the North Sea. The Moselle watershed is ecologically sensitive, supporting fish species such as grayling and brown trout. Advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, preventing eutrophication in downstream water bodies and maintaining water quality for biodiversity and human use.