Listrac-Médoc Wastewater Treatment Plant - Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

The Listrac-Médoc wastewater treatment plant is located in the Médoc wine region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, serving the commune of Listrac-Médoc. With a population equivalent of 2,364, it is a small-scale facility designed to handle local domestic wastewater. The plant is situated near the Gironde estuary, a major coastal ecosystem. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations under 10,000 people. Its designed capacity is 1,350 m³/day, and current discharge volume is 421.73 m³/day, indicating operational headroom. As a French facility, it operates under national regulations transposing the EU directive, with oversight from the Agence de l'Eau Adour-Garonne. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which drains into the Gironde estuary and ultimately the Bay of Biscay. The estuary is a critical habitat for migratory fish such as salmon and sturgeon, and the plant's advanced treatment helps protect this sensitive coastal environment from nutrient pollution.

The plant discharges into the local drainage network that flows into the Gironde estuary, a major tidal estuary on the Atlantic coast. The estuary supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish species, and is ecologically sensitive due to its role as a nursery and feeding ground. The advanced treatment level helps minimize nutrient loading and protects downstream water quality in the Bay of Biscay.