Overview
SAINT LAURENT DU MARONI Lagune Nord Fatima serves Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, French Guiana. The plant treats wastewater for approximately 10,000 people in this coastal Amazonian territory.
SAINT LAURENT DU MARONI Lagune Nord Fatima is a wastewater treatment plant located in the Paddock - Paradis - Jérusalem area of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, French Guiana. This facility serves a population of approximately 10,000 residents, making it a medium-sized agglomeration within the French overseas department. The plant is situated near the Maroni River, which forms the border with Suriname, and operates in a tropical climate with high rainfall. As a French territory, the plant falls under the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The directive also mandates more advanced treatment if the discharge enters sensitive areas. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 million cubic meters per year, indicating its scale relative to the local population. The treated effluent from this facility ultimately drains into the Maroni River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of French Guiana. The river supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish species. The surrounding watershed includes tropical rainforest and mangrove ecosystems, which are sensitive to nutrient pollution from wastewater discharges.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Maroni River, which flows northward to the Atlantic Ocean near the border with Suriname. The river supports a rich biodiversity including fish, caimans, and river dolphins. The coastal zone features mangrove forests that provide critical nursery habitats for marine species. Nutrient loading from wastewater could impact these sensitive ecosystems, making treatment quality important for downstream environmental health.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in the Paddock - Paradis - Jérusalem area of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, in the Guyane region of French Guiana, France.
The plant serves approximately 10,034 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated wastewater is discharged into the Maroni River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. The plant's discharge point is within 50 km of the coast.
As a French overseas department, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations over 2,000 population equivalent.
Under the EU directive, plants serving 10,000 people typically require secondary treatment (biological treatment) as a minimum. In sensitive areas, tertiary treatment may be needed to reduce nutrients.
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