NOE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Noé, Occitanie, France

NOE is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Noé, a commune in the Haute-Garonne department of Occitanie, southern France. The facility serves a population of around 5,658 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under European Union regulations. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations of this size are required to provide secondary treatment (biological treatment) as a minimum standard. The plant operates within the French regulatory framework, which implements the directive through national legislation and local permits issued by the relevant authorities. The treated effluent from NOE is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Garonne River via the Louge River or smaller tributaries. The Garonne flows into the Gironde estuary and then the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of these downstream water bodies and supporting aquatic ecosystems.

NOE discharges into the local water system that feeds the Louge River, a tributary of the Garonne River. The Garonne flows through southwestern France into the Gironde estuary, a major ecological zone supporting diverse fish species and migratory birds. The plant's treatment helps maintain water quality in this sensitive river basin, which is important for both ecological health and downstream uses such as agriculture and recreation.