Overview
Arazede wastewater treatment plant serves 4,200 people in Montemor-o-Velho, Coimbra, Portugal. It provides advanced treatment and discharges 700.27 m³/day, operating under EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive standards.
Arazede wastewater treatment plant is located in the parish of Arazede, within the municipality of Montemor-o-Velho, in the Coimbra district of central Portugal. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,200 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations. The facility employs advanced treatment processes, ensuring a high level of pollutant removal before discharge. With a designed capacity of 4,852 m³/day and an average daily flow of 700.27 m³, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a Portuguese plant, it complies with the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size, though the plant exceeds this standard with advanced treatment. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Mondego River, one of the major rivers in central Portugal. The Mondego flows westward through Coimbra and into the Atlantic Ocean near Figueira da Foz. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the ecological health of the Mondego basin and the coastal waters of the Atlantic.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Mondego River, which flows through the fertile Baixo Mondego region and into the Atlantic Ocean at Figueira da Foz. The Mondego basin supports diverse aquatic life and is important for agriculture and biodiversity. Advanced treatment at Arazede reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters and the coastal zone.
Frequently asked questions
The Arazede wastewater treatment plant is located at Rua Doutor João Constantino, Faíscas, Arazede, in the municipality of Montemor-o-Velho, Coimbra district, Portugal.
The plant serves approximately 4,200 residents in the Arazede area, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU wastewater directives.
The plant uses advanced treatment processes, which provide a higher level of pollutant removal than secondary treatment. This ensures the effluent meets strict quality standards before discharge.
The plant discharges into a local tributary that flows into the Mondego River. By treating wastewater to advanced levels, it helps protect the Mondego River and the Atlantic coastal waters near Figueira da Foz.
As a Portuguese plant serving a small agglomeration, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). The directive requires secondary treatment for this population size, but the plant exceeds this with advanced treatment, reflecting Portugal's commitment to water quality.
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