Overview
Paco de Sousa Nova wastewater treatment plant serves 30,000 people in Penafiel, Portugal. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this scale.
Paco de Sousa Nova is a wastewater treatment plant located in the parish of Paço de Sousa, Penafiel, in the Porto district of northern Portugal. The facility serves a population equivalent of 30,000, placing it in the medium agglomeration category under EU regulations. The plant is situated inland, approximately 50 km from the Atlantic coast, and discharges into the local river system. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations with a population equivalent between 10,000 and 150,000 are required to provide secondary treatment as a minimum. For plants in sensitive areas, more stringent treatment may be required. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day), indicating a moderate scale of operation. The regulatory framework ensures compliance with European standards. The treated effluent from Paco de Sousa Nova is discharged into a tributary of the Douro River, one of the major rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. The Douro flows westward through Portugal and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Porto. The river supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor for migratory fish species. The plant's operation helps protect the water quality of the Douro basin, which is used for agriculture, recreation, and drinking water supply downstream.
Environmental context
Paco de Sousa Nova discharges into a tributary of the Douro River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Porto. The Douro basin is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse aquatic habitats and migratory fish species such as lamprey and shad. The plant's treatment helps maintain water quality in this important river system, which is used for irrigation and municipal water supply downstream.
Frequently asked questions
Paco de Sousa Nova is located in the parish of Paço de Sousa, in the municipality of Penafiel, Porto district, northern Portugal. The full address is Rua do Sabedão, Assento, Paço de Sousa, Penafiel, Porto, 4560-404, Portugal.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 30,000, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated effluent is discharged into a local tributary that flows into the Douro River, which eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean near Porto.
As a Portuguese plant, Paco de Sousa Nova operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of 10,000 to 150,000 population equivalent.
For medium-sized agglomerations in Portugal, secondary treatment is the standard requirement under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. In sensitive areas, tertiary treatment may be mandated to reduce nutrient loads.
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