SAINT CIERGES Wastewater Treatment Plant, Montanaire, Vaud, Switzerland

SAINT CIERGES is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Montanaire, Vaud, Switzerland. It serves a small population of 374 residents in the rural community of Saint-Cierges, part of the Gros-de-Vaud district. The plant is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast, and operates under Swiss federal water protection regulations. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. It has a designed capacity of 875 m³/day and currently discharges 169.77 m³/day of treated effluent. As a Swiss facility, it complies with the Swiss Water Protection Act (Gewässerschutzgesetz), which mandates stringent treatment standards for all wastewater discharges to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Rhone River basin. The Rhone flows through Lake Geneva and into the Mediterranean Sea. The plant plays a key role in preserving the water quality of the region's streams and rivers, which support diverse aquatic life and are used for drinking water supply downstream.

The plant discharges into small streams in the Gros-de-Vaud region, which are part of the Rhone River basin. These waters flow into Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), a large alpine lake with significant ecological and recreational value. The Rhone then continues to the Mediterranean Sea. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect sensitive aquatic habitats and supports the region's water quality standards.