Overview
USTARITZ wastewater treatment plant serves 5,900 people in Ustaritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size.
The USTARITZ wastewater treatment plant is located in Ustaritz, a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. The facility serves a population of approximately 5,900 residents, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is situated near the Nive River, a tributary of the Adour, which flows into the Bay of Biscay. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 10,000 are required to provide appropriate treatment, typically secondary treatment, unless discharging into sensitive areas. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day or similar unit), indicating a scale consistent with the population served. The regulatory framework ensures compliance with national and EU standards. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into the local watershed, ultimately reaching the Nive River and then the Adour River, which flows into the Bay of Biscay. This coastal discharge point is within 50 km of the Atlantic Ocean, making the plant's operations relevant to marine water quality. The Adour estuary supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor for migratory fish species such as salmon and eels.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Nive River, a tributary of the Adour River, which flows into the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic coast. The Adour estuary is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse aquatic life including migratory fish species. The proximity to the coast (within 50 km) means that nutrient and pollutant loads from the plant can influence coastal water quality, particularly in the context of the EU's requirements for sensitive areas under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Frequently asked questions
The USTARITZ wastewater treatment plant is located in Ustaritz, a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. The address is Chemin de Leihorrondo, Lapurdi, Hérauritz, Ustaritz, Bayonne.
The plant serves a population of approximately 5,900 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, likely the Nive River, which flows into the Adour River and then into the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic coast.
As a French wastewater treatment plant, USTARITZ operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment for agglomerations of its size, typically secondary treatment, and compliance with national regulations.
For agglomerations between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent, the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive mandates appropriate treatment, usually secondary biological treatment, to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge.
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