SAUCATS 2 Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saucats, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

SAUCATS 2 is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Saucats, a commune in the Gironde department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,200 residents and is part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure managed by local authorities. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 2,500 m³/day and an average daily discharge of 395.51 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a French plant, it operates under the national transposition of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates appropriate treatment levels based on the size of the agglomeration and the sensitivity of the receiving environment. The treated effluent from SAUCATS 2 is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Garonne River and the Gironde estuary, a major ecological and economic asset on the Atlantic coast. The estuary supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish species such as salmon and eels. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this sensitive coastal ecosystem.

SAUCATS 2 discharges treated wastewater into local streams that flow into the Garonne River, which then feeds into the Gironde estuary on the Atlantic coast. The estuary is a dynamic ecosystem supporting diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish and bird species. The plant's advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loads and protect water quality in this ecologically sensitive area, which is important for both biodiversity and regional fisheries.