Overview
SAUBRAZ wastewater treatment plant in Saubraz, Vaud, Switzerland, serves 185 people with secondary treatment. It discharges 83.98 m³/day and is located within 10 km of the coast.
SAUBRAZ is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the village of Saubraz, within the District of Morges in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The facility serves a small population of 185 residents and operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment stage for organic matter removal. The plant's designed capacity is 433.00 m³/day, and it currently discharges an average of 83.98 m³/day of treated effluent. As a Swiss plant, SAUBRAZ operates under the Swiss Water Protection Act (Gewässerschutzgesetz), which aligns with the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) through bilateral agreements. For small agglomerations under 2,000 population equivalent, secondary treatment is typically sufficient unless the receiving water body is in a sensitive area. The plant's secondary treatment process ensures compliance with national standards for biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. The treated effluent from SAUBRAZ is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), one of the largest freshwater lakes in Western Europe. Lake Geneva supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and is a critical drinking water source for the region. The plant's proximity to the lake (within 10 km) underscores the importance of effective nutrient removal to prevent eutrophication in this sensitive alpine lake environment.
Environmental context
SAUBRAZ discharges into a small tributary that flows into the Aubonne River, which then enters Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) near the town of Rolle. Lake Geneva is a large, deep alpine lake that supports a rich ecosystem including endemic fish species and migratory waterbirds. The lake's oligotrophic status requires strict control of nutrient inputs, particularly phosphorus, to avoid algal blooms. The plant's secondary treatment provides basic organic matter removal, but the absence of tertiary treatment for nutrient removal may pose a risk to the lake's water quality given the plant's coastal proximity.
Frequently asked questions
SAUBRAZ is located at 9 Route de Montherod in Saubraz, District of Morges, canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It serves the small village of Saubraz and surrounding areas.
The plant serves a population of 185 people, making it a small-scale municipal facility typical of rural Swiss communities.
The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that flows into the Aubonne River and eventually reaches Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). The plant is located within 10 km of the lake's shoreline.
SAUBRAZ provides secondary treatment, which involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids. This is the standard treatment level required for small agglomerations under Swiss regulations.
The plant operates under the Swiss Water Protection Act, which mandates secondary treatment for communities of this size. Switzerland's regulations are harmonized with the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, ensuring consistent environmental protection for water bodies like Lake Geneva.
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