POIRE SUR VIE la Bleliere Wastewater Treatment Plant, Le Poiré-sur-Vie, France

POIRE SUR VIE la Bleliere is a wastewater treatment plant located in Le Poiré-sur-Vie, in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,950 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under French and EU regulations. It is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast, and treats municipal wastewater from the local community. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for discharges into freshwater bodies. The designed capacity is 8,310 m³/day, and the current discharge volume is 704.67 m³/day, indicating operational headroom. As a French facility, it operates under national regulations transposing the EU directive, with permits issued by the local water agency (Agence de l'Eau). The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Atlantic Ocean via the Vie River and the Bay of Biscay. The plant plays a key role in protecting the Vie River watershed from nutrient pollution and safeguarding downstream aquatic ecosystems, including coastal waters that support fisheries and tourism.

The plant discharges into the Vie River basin, which flows westward into the Atlantic Ocean. The Vie River supports diverse freshwater habitats and is part of a regional network of streams that drain the Pays de la Loire. Downstream, the river meets the Bay of Biscay, a productive marine area important for fishing and biodiversity. Secondary treatment reduces organic load and suspended solids, helping to prevent eutrophication in the coastal zone.