Cinfaes Wastewater Treatment Plant, São Cristóvão de Nogueira, Portugal

Cinfaes is a wastewater treatment plant located in São Cristóvão de Nogueira, a parish in the municipality of Cinfães, Viseu District, Portugal. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,000 people and is situated inland, away from coastal areas. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 3,000 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 500.19 m³/day, the plant operates well within its capacity, indicating efficient management. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Douro River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Douro River flows westward through Portugal and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Porto. The plant's operations help protect the water quality of these downstream environments.

The plant discharges into local streams that are part of the Douro River basin. The Douro River is a major watercourse in northern Portugal, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing water for agriculture and human consumption. The river flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Porto, where the estuary is an important ecological area for fish and bird species. The secondary treatment at Cinfaes helps reduce organic pollutants and nutrients, contributing to the health of this downstream ecosystem.