LEWARDE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lewarde, Hauts-de-France

LEWARDE is a wastewater treatment plant located in Lewarde, a commune in the Nord department of Hauts-de-France, France. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,470 and operates with advanced treatment processes, ensuring high-quality effluent before discharge. With a designed capacity of 5,400 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 797.44 m³/day, the plant operates well within its capacity. As a facility in France, it is subject to the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates advanced treatment for sensitive areas and secondary treatment for all agglomerations above 2,000 population equivalent. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the North Sea via the Scheldt basin. The region's water bodies support diverse aquatic life and are important for both ecological balance and human use, including agriculture and recreation.

The LEWARDE plant discharges into the local river system within the Scheldt basin, which flows through northern France and Belgium before reaching the North Sea. The downstream environment includes agricultural areas and urban zones, where nutrient management is critical to prevent eutrophication. The advanced treatment level helps protect water quality in this sensitive watershed.