SAUGUES Le Bourg Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saugues, France

SAUGUES Le Bourg is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in the commune of Saugues, within the Haute-Loire department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in France. The facility serves a population of approximately 2,800 residents and has a designed capacity of 4,200 cubic meters per day, with an average daily discharge volume of 499.52 cubic meters. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. As a French facility, it operates under the national transposition of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment levels based on the sensitivity of receiving waters and agglomeration size. For a plant serving fewer than 10,000 people, advanced treatment is typically mandated if the discharge enters a sensitive area. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Loire River basin. The Loire is the longest river in France and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the water quality of the Seuge River, a tributary of the Allier, and downstream ecosystems, including the Loire's diverse aquatic habitats and migratory fish populations.

The plant discharges into the Seuge River, a tributary of the Allier River, which is part of the larger Loire River basin. The Loire flows into the Atlantic Ocean, supporting diverse aquatic life and important migratory fish species such as Atlantic salmon and European eel. The advanced treatment level helps minimize nutrient loading and protects the ecological integrity of the downstream water bodies.