MOURIES Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mouriès, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

The MOURIES wastewater treatment plant is located in Mouriès, a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southern France. It serves a population of approximately 4,800 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant's designed capacity is 5,000 m³/day, with an average daily discharge of 856.31 m³/day. As a secondary treatment facility, the MOURIES plant provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharging treated effluent. For agglomerations between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent, the EU directive mandates secondary treatment as a minimum standard. The plant's performance is monitored to ensure compliance with national and EU water quality standards. The treated wastewater is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Rhône River delta. The region's hydrology is influenced by the Camargue wetlands, an ecologically sensitive area that supports diverse bird species and aquatic life. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality and the fragile coastal ecosystem.

The MOURIES plant discharges into the local drainage network that flows toward the Rhône River delta and the Mediterranean Sea. The receiving environment includes the Camargue region, a vast alluvial plain with wetlands and lagoons that are ecologically sensitive and support migratory birds and fish. Proper treatment helps prevent nutrient enrichment and pollution in these downstream habitats.