Sarrewerden Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sarre-Union, Grand Est, France

The Sarrewerden wastewater treatment plant is located in Sarre-Union, within the Grand Est region of France. It serves a population of approximately 3,100 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under French and EU regulations. The plant is situated in the Vosges du Nord area, near the border with Germany. The facility employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters. The plant has a designed capacity of 5,000 cubic meters per day and currently discharges an average of 553 cubic meters per day, indicating ample reserve capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Rhine River basin. The Rhine is a major European waterway flowing into the North Sea. The advanced treatment helps protect the ecological quality of the Rhine and its tributaries, which support diverse aquatic life and are important for drinking water supply and recreation.

The plant discharges into the local watershed of the Sarre River, a tributary of the Moselle, which flows into the Rhine River and eventually the North Sea. The region is part of the Vosges du Nord, an area with sensitive aquatic ecosystems. Advanced treatment ensures that nutrient loads are minimized, protecting downstream water quality and biodiversity in the Rhine basin.