LOURY Wastewater Treatment Plant, Loury, Centre-Val de Loire, France

The LOURY wastewater treatment plant is located in the commune of Loury, within the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. The facility serves a population of approximately 4,627 residents and operates with a designed capacity of 5,000 cubic meters per day, currently treating an average daily flow of 825.45 cubic meters. As an advanced treatment plant, LOURY goes beyond the secondary treatment standards required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The advanced level typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters, aligning with France's implementation of the directive in sensitive areas. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Loire River basin. The Loire is one of France's major rivers, flowing over 1,000 kilometers to the Atlantic Ocean. The advanced treatment helps safeguard the ecological health of the Loire's tributaries and downstream aquatic habitats.

The LOURY plant discharges into the local hydrographic network that feeds the Loire River, which flows westward through the Centre-Val de Loire region to the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire basin supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish species such as Atlantic salmon and European eel. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient loading, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters and maintain water quality for both ecological and recreational uses.