STEP MONTSEVELIER Wastewater Treatment Plant, Val Terbi, Jura, Switzerland

STEP MONTSEVELIER is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Montsevelier, part of the Val Terbi municipality in the Jura canton of Switzerland. The plant serves a small population of 278 residents and has a designed capacity of 650 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 126.19 cubic meters per day. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment stage required under Swiss water protection legislation. Switzerland's Water Protection Act (Gewässerschutzgesetz) mandates that all wastewater receive appropriate treatment before discharge, with secondary treatment being the minimum for municipal plants of this scale. The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Birs River and then the Rhine River, flowing through the Rhine basin to the North Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the sensitive Jura region's water quality and downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into the local watershed that feeds the Birs River, a tributary of the Rhine. The Rhine basin is a major European waterway supporting diverse aquatic life and providing drinking water for millions. The Jura region's karst topography makes groundwater particularly vulnerable to contamination, so effective wastewater treatment is critical for protecting both surface and groundwater resources.