Loriga Wastewater Treatment Plant, Seia, Portugal

Loriga is a wastewater treatment plant located in the village of Loriga, within the municipality of Seia, in the Guarda district of Portugal. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,500 people, placing it in the small agglomeration category under Portuguese and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. It has a designed capacity of 2,633 m³/day and currently discharges an average of 416.83 m³/day of treated effluent. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually flows into the Mondego River, one of Portugal's major rivers. The Mondego River basin supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional agriculture and water supply. The plant's operation helps protect the water quality of this downstream environment.

Loriga plant discharges into a tributary of the Mondego River, which flows westward through central Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean near Figueira da Foz. The Mondego basin supports a variety of freshwater species and is used for irrigation and recreation. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollution and protect the ecological health of the river and its estuary.