TARBES Est Wastewater Treatment Plant, Bazet, Occitanie, France

TARBES Est is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Bazet, near Tarbes, in the Occitanie region of southern France. The plant serves a population of approximately 38,000 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under French and EU regulations. As a French facility, TARBES Est operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The directive also mandates more stringent treatment if the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas, which is common for rivers in the region. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the Adour River, which flows through the Pyrenees foothills and eventually reaches the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean. The Adour supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor for migratory fish species.

The plant discharges into the Adour River, which flows through the Hautes-Pyrénées department and eventually reaches the Bay of Biscay. The Adour watershed supports a variety of freshwater species and is influenced by agricultural runoff from the surrounding plains. Downstream, the river's estuary provides critical habitat for migratory birds and fish, including salmon and eels.