ST ETIENNE DE TINEE Auron Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée

ST ETIENNE DE TINEE Auron is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in the ski resort of Auron, within the commune of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée in the Alpes-Maritimes department of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. The plant serves a population of 1,747, reflecting its role in a small alpine community that experiences seasonal tourist influxes. The plant 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. With a designed capacity of 5,000 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 311.66 m³/day, the facility has significant reserve capacity to handle peak loads during winter tourism. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Tinée River, a tributary of the Var River that flows into the Mediterranean Sea near Nice. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the sensitive alpine aquatic ecosystems and downstream water quality in the Var River basin.

The plant discharges into the Tinée River watershed, which flows through the Mercantour massif before joining the Var River and reaching the Mediterranean Sea. The alpine streams in this region support diverse aquatic life, including brown trout and other cold-water species. Advanced treatment ensures minimal nutrient and pollutant loading, protecting the ecological integrity of the downstream river system.