SALLES Wastewater Treatment Plant, Salles, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

The SALLES wastewater treatment plant is located in the commune of Salles, within the Gironde department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It serves a small population of 1,710 residents, providing secondary treatment to manage municipal wastewater. The plant has a designed capacity of 3,000 m³/day and currently discharges an average of 305.06 m³/day. As a French wastewater facility, SALLES operates under the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant's compliance with EU standards ensures that treated effluent meets quality requirements before discharge into the local environment. The treated wastewater is discharged into the regional watershed, which ultimately drains into the Arcachon Bay, a semi-enclosed marine inlet on the Atlantic coast. This bay is ecologically significant, supporting diverse aquatic life including seagrass beds and shellfish fisheries. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect the bay's water quality and ecosystem health.

The SALLES plant discharges into the local river system that flows into the Arcachon Bay, a coastal lagoon on the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is an important ecological area, supporting extensive seagrass meadows and serving as a nursery for fish and shellfish. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants and nutrients, helping to maintain the bay's water quality and prevent eutrophication.