Overview
ETE VILA BELA is a municipal wastewater treatment plant serving 8,570 people in Guaratinguetá, São Paulo, Brazil. It operates under Brazil's national water quality regulations.
ETE VILA BELA is a wastewater treatment plant located in the Vila Bela neighborhood of Guaratinguetá, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The plant serves a population of approximately 8,570 residents, making it a small-scale facility within the region's sanitation infrastructure. Guaratinguetá is situated in the Paraíba do Sul River valley, an area with significant industrial and agricultural activity. As a small agglomeration, the plant is expected to provide at least secondary treatment in accordance with Brazilian Resolution CONAMA 430/2011, which sets effluent discharge standards. Typical facilities of this scale in São Paulo employ activated sludge or similar biological systems to meet regulatory requirements. The treated effluent from ETE VILA BELA is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Paraíba do Sul River, a major watercourse flowing through the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais. The river supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for millions of people downstream, including the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Proper treatment at this plant helps protect water quality in this ecologically and economically important basin.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Paraíba do Sul River basin, which flows through the Atlantic Forest biome and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Campos dos Goytacazes. The river supports a rich diversity of fish and other aquatic species, some of which are endemic. Downstream, the river provides drinking water for over 14 million people, making effluent quality critical for public health and ecosystem integrity.
Frequently asked questions
ETE VILA BELA is located in the Vila Bela neighborhood of Guaratinguetá, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
The plant serves approximately 8,570 people, classifying it as a small-scale wastewater treatment facility.
The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that flow into the Paraíba do Sul River, which ultimately reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
The plant operates under Brazilian federal regulations, including CONAMA Resolution 430/2011, which sets effluent discharge standards for wastewater treatment plants.
For small agglomerations in Brazil, secondary treatment processes such as activated sludge or anaerobic lagoons are commonly used to meet regulatory requirements.
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