MALIJAI Wastewater Treatment Plant, L'Escale, France

The MALIJAI wastewater treatment plant is located in L'Escale, a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The plant serves a population of 2,127 and is part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure for the area. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. It has a designed capacity of 3,000 m³/day and currently treats an average daily flow of 379.45 m³/day, indicating significant spare capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Durance River, a major tributary of the Rhône. The Durance River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important water resource for the region, including irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.

The plant discharges into the Durance River basin, which flows into the Rhône River and eventually the Mediterranean Sea. The Durance is a dynamic alpine river that supports a variety of fish species and provides critical habitat for migratory birds. The advanced treatment at MALIJAI helps protect water quality in this ecologically sensitive river system.