Penacova Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lorvão, Portugal

Penacova is a wastewater treatment plant located in Lorvão, within the municipality of Penacova, Coimbra District, Portugal. The facility serves a population of approximately 2,600 people, placing it in the small agglomeration category under Portuguese and EU regulations. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. It has a designed capacity of 5,125 m³/day and currently discharges 433.50 m³/day of treated effluent. The treated wastewater is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Mondego River, one of the major rivers in central Portugal. The Mondego River flows westward to the Atlantic Ocean near Figueira da Foz, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and agricultural water use along its course.

The plant discharges into the Mondego River basin, which flows through central Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. The Mondego River supports a variety of freshwater species and is an important water resource for irrigation and local communities. Downstream, the river estuary near Figueira da Foz provides habitat for migratory birds and fish species, making the treatment plant's advanced treatment important for protecting water quality in this ecologically sensitive area.