VERCEL Wastewater Treatment Plant, Vercel-Villedieu-le-Camp, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

VERCEL is a wastewater treatment plant located in Vercel-Villedieu-le-Camp, a commune in the Doubs department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. The plant serves a population equivalent of 14,400, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under European Union regulations. As a French facility, VERCEL operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 15,000. The regulatory framework ensures compliance with discharge standards. The treated effluent from VERCEL is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Doubs River, a tributary of the Saône River, and then into the Rhône River before reaching the Mediterranean Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of this river system, which supports diverse aquatic life and is used for recreation and agriculture.

VERCEL discharges into the Doubs River basin, part of the larger Rhône-Mediterranean watershed. The Doubs River flows through the Jura Mountains and supports a variety of fish species, including brown trout and grayling. Downstream, the river joins the Saône, which eventually reaches the Mediterranean Sea. The plant's operations help maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive region, which is important for both biodiversity and human use.