STEP LA BROCHE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Les Bois, Jura, Switzerland

STEP LA BROCHE is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Les Bois, in the Jura canton of Switzerland. It serves a small population of 977 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community within the Franches-Montagnes district. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under Swiss water protection legislation. With a designed capacity of 1,633 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 443.48 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Doubs River, a major tributary of the Saône, which flows into the Rhône and eventually the Mediterranean Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the sensitive Jura watershed, which supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and is important for regional biodiversity.

The plant discharges into the local watershed of the Doubs River, which flows through the Jura region into France and joins the Saône River, a major tributary of the Rhône. The Rhône then empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The Jura region is characterized by karstic geology and sensitive groundwater systems, making proper wastewater treatment essential to prevent nutrient pollution and protect downstream aquatic habitats, including fish spawning grounds and wetland areas.