Golega Wastewater Treatment Plant, Golegã, Santarém, Portugal

The Golega wastewater treatment plant is located in Quinta da Labruja, Golegã, Santarém, Portugal. It serves a population of approximately 4,100 people and has a designed capacity of 6,500 cubic meters per day, with a current discharge volume of 683.60 cubic meters per day. The plant provides advanced treatment, ensuring high-quality effluent before discharge. As a Portuguese facility, the plant operates under national regulations that transpose the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For agglomerations of this size (under 10,000 population equivalent), the directive requires appropriate treatment, and Portugal has implemented advanced treatment in many such plants to protect sensitive water bodies. The treated wastewater is discharged into the local watershed, which drains into the Tagus River basin. The Tagus River is one of the longest rivers in the Iberian Peninsula, flowing through Portugal and Spain before reaching the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the ecological health of the river and its downstream environments.

The plant discharges into the Tagus River basin, which flows westward through central Portugal and empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the Tagus Estuary near Lisbon. The estuary is an ecologically important area that supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and bird species. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, contributing to the overall health of the river and coastal waters.