SOULAC SUR MER Wastewater Treatment Plant, Soulac-sur-Mer, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

The SOULAC SUR MER wastewater treatment plant is located in Soulac-sur-Mer, a coastal town in the Gironde department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The facility serves a population of around 20,641, classifying it as a medium agglomeration under EU regulations. As a French plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day), indicating it is sized to handle the local population's wastewater. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Soulac-sur-Mer is situated on the Médoc peninsula near the Gironde estuary, a region of ecological importance for migratory birds and aquatic life. The plant plays a key role in protecting the coastal environment from nutrient pollution.

The plant discharges into the Gironde estuary, a major tidal estuary that flows into the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic Ocean). This estuary supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish species such as salmon and eels. The surrounding wetlands and mudflats are important feeding grounds for birds. Proper wastewater treatment is critical to prevent eutrophication and maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive coastal zone.