Magoito Wastewater Treatment Plant, São João das Lampas, Portugal

Magoito wastewater treatment plant was located in São João das Lampas, a parish in the municipality of Sintra, within the Lisbon district of Portugal. The facility served a population of approximately 4,700 people and was designed with an advanced treatment level, reflecting a high standard of wastewater purification before discharge. Although the plant is now closed, its advanced treatment process would have met the stringent requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations above 2,000 population equivalent and more advanced treatment in sensitive areas. The plant's designed capacity of 5,197 cubic meters per day indicates it was built to handle peak flows, while the actual discharge volume of 783.63 cubic meters per day suggests it operated well below capacity. The plant discharged treated wastewater into the local environment near the Atlantic coast, within 10 kilometers of the shoreline. This coastal location would have required careful management to protect marine water quality and comply with Portugal's national water regulations, which implement EU directives for coastal and transitional waters.

The Magoito plant discharged into the Atlantic Ocean via local streams and groundwater, as the site lies within the Lisbon coastal region. The receiving waters support diverse marine life and are part of a broader ecosystem that includes sandy beaches and rocky shores. The advanced treatment level would have helped minimize nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting coastal water quality and the ecological health of the nearby marine environment.