MANZIAT Wastewater Treatment Plant, Manziat, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

MANZIAT is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Manziat, a commune in the Ain department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France. The plant serves a population equivalent of 2,850 and operates under the regulatory framework of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The facility is situated in a rural area near the Saône River basin. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment mandated by the EU directive for inland freshwater discharges. With a designed capacity of 1,350 cubic meters per day and an average daily discharge volume of 508.44 cubic meters, the plant operates well within its capacity. The treatment process ensures that effluent meets the required quality standards before release into the environment. The treated wastewater is discharged into the local watercourse, which ultimately drains into the Saône River, a major tributary of the Rhône. The Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea, making this plant part of a large transboundary river basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the Saône and downstream ecosystems, including the Camargue delta, a region of high ecological importance.

The plant discharges into a small watercourse that feeds into the Saône River, which flows south to join the Rhône near Lyon. The Rhône then continues to the Mediterranean Sea, passing through the Camargue wetlands. The Saône-Rhône corridor supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory route for fish. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads and organic pollution, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive basin.