ETE Ferrijinha Wastewater Treatment Plant, Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais

ETE Ferrijinha is a wastewater treatment plant located in Conselheiro Pena, a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The plant serves a small population of 1,385 residents, reflecting its role in a smaller urban community within the Doce River basin region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under Brazilian regulations (CONAMA resolutions) for most inland municipalities. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, ensuring that effluent meets basic quality standards before discharge. The treated wastewater is discharged into local water bodies that eventually flow into the Doce River, a major river in southeastern Brazil that drains into the Atlantic Ocean. The Doce River basin supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and is important for regional water supply, though it has faced environmental challenges from industrial and agricultural activities.

The plant's discharge contributes to the Doce River watershed, which flows through Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. This basin supports a variety of fish species and is ecologically sensitive due to past mining impacts. The secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollution, but the cumulative effects of multiple discharges in the basin require ongoing monitoring.