VALS LES BAINS Wastewater Treatment Plant, Vals-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

The VALS LES BAINS wastewater treatment plant is located in Vals-les-Bains, a commune in the Ardèche department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France. The facility serves a population of approximately 3,865 residents and operates with a designed capacity of 6,000 cubic meters per day, treating an average discharge volume of 689.51 m³/day. As a small agglomeration, the plant is subject to French regulations transposing the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required for agglomerations of this size under the EU directive. This level of treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters. The plant's capacity utilization is well below its design capacity, indicating ample headroom for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Ardèche River and then the Rhône River, a major European waterway flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. The Ardèche River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the region. The advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient loading and protect downstream water quality in this sensitive karst landscape.

The plant discharges into the Ardèche River basin, which flows into the Rhône River and eventually the Mediterranean Sea. The Ardèche River is known for its limestone gorges and supports a variety of fish species, including the European eel and the Rhône streber. The advanced treatment at VALS LES BAINS helps reduce nutrient pollution, protecting the river's ecological health and the downstream coastal environment.