Overview
MAICHE wastewater treatment plant serves Maîche, France, a community of 9,300 people. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size.
The MAICHE wastewater treatment plant is located in Maîche, a commune in the Doubs department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. It serves a population of approximately 9,300 people, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category under European regulations. As a French facility, the plant is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for discharges into freshwater bodies from agglomerations of this scale. The directive also mandates more advanced treatment if the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas, such as those prone to eutrophication. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Doubs River, a tributary of the Saône, then the Rhône, and finally the Mediterranean Sea. This downstream pathway highlights the plant's role in protecting both local water quality and the broader Rhône basin ecosystem.
Environmental context
The MAICHE plant discharges into the Doubs River basin, part of the larger Rhône-Mediterranean watershed. The Doubs River supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as brown trout and grayling. Downstream, the river flows through the Jura Mountains and eventually joins the Saône, contributing to the water quality of the Rhône Delta and the Mediterranean Sea. Protecting this watercourse from nutrient pollution is critical to preventing eutrophication in downstream lakes and coastal zones.
Frequently asked questions
The MAICHE plant is located at Chemin de la Rasse, Sous le Château, Maîche, in the Doubs department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France.
The plant serves approximately 9,300 people, classifying it as a small-to-medium agglomeration under EU regulations.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the local watershed, which flows into the Doubs River, a tributary of the Saône, and eventually reaches the Mediterranean Sea.
As a French facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size and may require advanced treatment if the receiving water is a sensitive area.
Under the EU UWWTD, plants serving between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent typically require secondary treatment. In France, this is often achieved through biological processes such as activated sludge or biofiltration, with nutrient removal if the discharge is to sensitive areas.
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