Campos Wastewater Treatment Plant, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal

Campos is a wastewater treatment plant serving the civil parish of Campos and surrounding areas in Vila Nova de Cerveira, Viana do Castelo district, northern Portugal. The plant treats wastewater from a population of approximately 4,100 people, with a designed capacity of 7,741 m³/day and an average daily discharge of 683.60 m³/day. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters, aligning with Portugal's implementation of the directive for coastal and estuarine zones. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Atlantic Ocean via the Minho River estuary. The plant's coastal proximity means its discharge contributes to the ecological health of the Minho estuary, a productive ecosystem supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory fish species. Effective treatment helps maintain water quality in this regionally important coastal area.

The plant discharges into the Minho River basin, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean at the border between Portugal and Spain. The Minho estuary is a dynamic coastal ecosystem that supports diverse aquatic life, including migratory fish such as lamprey and salmon. The advanced treatment at Campos helps protect this sensitive environment from nutrient enrichment and other pollutants, preserving water quality for downstream uses and ecological balance.