Foros de Salvaterra Wastewater Treatment Plant | Salvaterra de Magos, Portugal

Foros de Salvaterra is a wastewater treatment plant located in Salvaterra de Magos, Santarém District, Portugal. It serves a population of approximately 5,000 people, placing it in the small agglomeration category under Portuguese and EU regulations. The plant is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast, and operates under Portugal's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size. Its designed capacity is 10,000 m³/day, with an actual discharge volume of 833.65 m³/day, indicating significant spare capacity. As a Portuguese facility, it is subject to national water quality standards and permits issued by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Tagus River basin. The Tagus River is one of the longest rivers in the Iberian Peninsula, flowing through Spain and Portugal before reaching the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the ecological health of the Tagus estuary and downstream coastal waters.

The plant discharges into the Tagus River basin, which flows through central Portugal and empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the Tagus Estuary near Lisbon. The estuary is a vital habitat for migratory birds and supports diverse aquatic life. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient and pollutant loads, helping to maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive downstream environment.