POIX DE PICARDIE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Poix-de-Picardie, Hauts-de-France

The POIX DE PICARDIE wastewater treatment plant is located in Poix-de-Picardie, a commune in the Somme department of Hauts-de-France, northern France. The facility serves a population of approximately 4,675 residents and is designed with a capacity of 4,183 cubic meters per day, currently discharging 834 cubic meters daily. As an advanced treatment plant, it goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants, meeting stringent standards under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For agglomerations of this size (under 10,000 population equivalent), the directive requires appropriate treatment, and France's national regulations often mandate advanced treatment in sensitive areas. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that flow into the Somme River basin, ultimately reaching the English Channel. The Somme River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the region. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality and the sensitive coastal environment.

The plant discharges into the Somme River basin, which flows into the Somme Bay and then the English Channel. The Somme Bay is an ecologically sensitive estuary that supports diverse birdlife and marine species. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient loading, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters and protecting the bay's fragile ecosystem.