LORGUES Les Pailles Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lorgues, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

LORGUES Les Pailles is a wastewater treatment facility located in Lorgues, within the Var department of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. The plant serves a population of approximately 5,556 and has a designed capacity of 11,000 cubic meters per day, indicating it is sized for a medium agglomeration under French regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for inland freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, ensuring compliance with EU quality standards before discharge. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain toward the Mediterranean Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the Argens River basin and downstream coastal ecosystems, including the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, by reducing nutrient and pollutant loads from urban wastewater.

The plant discharges into the Argens River watershed, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea near Fréjus. This coastal region supports diverse marine life and seagrass meadows, which are sensitive to nutrient pollution. Effective secondary treatment helps prevent eutrophication and protects the ecological balance of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and adjacent coastal waters.