SAINT CERE intercommunale Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saint-Céré, Occitanie

SAINT CERE intercommunale is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Saint-Céré, in the Occitanie region of southern France. The facility serves a population of around 10,395 people, placing it in the medium agglomeration category under European regulations. As a French plant of this scale, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent discharging into freshwater, and more stringent treatment for sensitive areas. Compliance with national and EU standards ensures appropriate treatment for the local community. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Dordogne River system and then into the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the Bave River, a tributary of the Dordogne, and the downstream aquatic ecosystems that depend on clean water.

The plant discharges into the Bave River, a tributary of the Dordogne River, which flows through the scenic Dordogne Valley before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as salmon and trout, and is an important ecological corridor. Protecting water quality in this region is vital for maintaining the health of the riverine ecosystem and the broader Dordogne basin.