Borba Wastewater Treatment Plant: Serving Borba, Évora, Portugal

Borba wastewater treatment plant is located in the civil parish of Borba (Matriz), in the municipality of Borba, Évora District, Portugal. The facility serves a population of approximately 4,500 residents, placing it in the small agglomeration category under Portuguese and EU regulations. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 4,700 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 750.29 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Guadiana River basin, which flows southward to the Gulf of Cádiz and the Atlantic Ocean. The Guadiana basin supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and is an important water resource for agriculture and biodiversity in the Alentejo region.

Borba lies in the Guadiana River basin, a major Iberian watershed that drains into the Gulf of Cádiz. The Guadiana River and its tributaries support a variety of freshwater species and provide critical habitat for migratory birds. The advanced treatment at Borba helps protect downstream water quality, reducing nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in the estuary and coastal waters.