LENTIGNY Wastewater Treatment Plant, La Brillaz, Fribourg, Switzerland

LENTIGNY is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in La Brillaz, within the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. The plant serves a small population of 678 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or suburban community. It operates under Swiss federal water protection regulations, which align with the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive standards for secondary treatment. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 1,133 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 307.76 cubic meters per day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating adequate headroom for current demand. Swiss regulations require secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size, ensuring compliance with national water quality goals. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Rhine River basin via the Sarine River. The Sarine River flows through the canton of Fribourg and joins the Aare River, a major tributary of the Rhine. This connection highlights the plant's role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and the broader Rhine catchment area, which supports diverse freshwater habitats and migratory fish species.

The plant discharges into the Sarine River, a tributary of the Aare River, which flows into the Rhine River and eventually the North Sea. The Sarine River supports a diverse aquatic ecosystem, including fish species such as brown trout and grayling. The region's watershed is ecologically sensitive, with the river providing important habitat and water resources for local communities and agriculture.