ETE ITAGUACU Wastewater Treatment Plant, Itaguaçu, Espírito Santo

ETE ITAGUACU is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Itaguaçu, a city in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The facility serves a population of approximately 2,647 people, classifying it as a small-scale treatment plant within the region's sanitation infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment process required under Brazilian regulations for communities of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, ensuring effluent quality meets national discharge standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that drain into the Doce River basin, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality and supporting the ecological health of the region's freshwater systems.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Doce River, which flows eastward through Espírito Santo to the Atlantic Ocean. The Doce River basin supports diverse aquatic life and is ecologically sensitive, particularly after the 2015 Fundão dam disaster. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollution loads, contributing to the recovery and preservation of the river's water quality and downstream coastal ecosystems.