LIVAROT Wastewater Treatment Plant, Livarot-Pays-d'Auge, Normandie

The LIVAROT wastewater treatment plant is located in Livarot-Pays-d'Auge, a commune in the Calvados department of Normandie, France. It serves a population of approximately 2,463 residents, reflecting a small agglomeration scale typical of rural French communities. The plant is situated inland, over 10 km from the coast, and operates within the broader Seine-Normandie water basin. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment mandated by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 4,000 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 439.39 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. French wastewater plants are regulated under national legislation transposing EU directives, with permits issued by the local water agency (Agence de l'Eau Seine-Normandie). The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Dives River and then the English Channel. The plant plays a key role in protecting the aquatic ecosystems of the Dives basin, which supports diverse freshwater species and contributes to the ecological health of the Normandy coast. Advanced treatment ensures high-quality effluent, minimizing nutrient loading and safeguarding downstream habitats.

The LIVAROT plant discharges into local streams that feed the Dives River, which flows northward into the English Channel near Cabourg. The Dives basin supports a variety of aquatic life, including fish species such as brown trout and Atlantic salmon. The advanced treatment level helps reduce phosphorus and nitrogen loads, protecting the river's ecological balance and preventing eutrophication in coastal waters.