ETE Cafesópolis Wastewater Treatment Plant, Recife, Pernambuco

ETE Cafesópolis is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the Imbiribeira district of Recife, the capital of Pernambuco state in northeastern Brazil. The plant serves a population of 3,540 residents and is part of the broader sanitation infrastructure of the Recife metropolitan region, a densely populated urban area along the Atlantic coast. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment level required under Brazilian regulations (CONAMA resolutions) for urban wastewater. With a discharge volume of 421.00 cubic meters per day, the facility operates at a scale consistent with small agglomerations. Brazilian environmental law mandates that all wastewater treatment plants comply with discharge standards for biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids, and secondary treatment typically achieves these limits. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that drain into the Atlantic Ocean, given the plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km). Recife's coastal ecosystem includes estuaries, mangroves, and coral reefs that are sensitive to nutrient pollution. Proper secondary treatment helps reduce the risk of eutrophication and protects marine biodiversity in the adjacent South Atlantic waters.

The plant discharges into the coastal watershed of Recife, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean via the Capibaribe and Beberibe rivers and their estuarine systems. This region supports mangroves and seagrass beds that serve as nursery habitats for fish and crustaceans. The proximity to the coast means that any nutrient or pathogen load from the plant could affect nearshore water quality and marine life, making secondary treatment essential for minimizing ecological impact.