PITHIVIERS Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dadonville, Centre-Val de Loire

The PITHIVIERS wastewater treatment plant is located in Dadonville, near Pithiviers, in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. It serves a population equivalent of 29,200, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure for the area, treating domestic and industrial wastewater from the surrounding communities. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations with a population equivalent between 10,000 and 150,000 are required to have secondary treatment as a minimum. For plants discharging into sensitive areas, tertiary treatment may be mandated. It is expected to comply with French national regulations implementing the directive, which set standards for effluent quality and monitoring. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Loire River basin. The Loire is one of France's major rivers, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting the local aquatic environment and downstream ecosystems by reducing pollutant loads before discharge.

The PITHIVIERS plant discharges into a tributary of the Loire River, which flows through central France before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire basin supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish species such as Atlantic salmon and European eel. The plant's operations help maintain water quality in this ecologically important river system, which is also used for drinking water supply and recreation downstream.