Overview
Quinta de Cima Nova ETAR is a secondary wastewater treatment plant serving about 2,000 people in Penela, Portugal. It discharges treated effluent into the local watershed, contributing to the protection of the Mondego River basin.
Quinta de Cima Nova ETAR is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the civil parish of São Miguel, Santa Eufémia e Rabaçal, in the municipality of Penela, Coimbra District, Portugal. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,000, making it a small-scale facility within the region's sanitation infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. The designed capacity of 5,720 cubic meters per day indicates the plant is sized to accommodate future growth or seasonal variations. The current discharge volume of 333.46 cubic meters per day suggests the plant operates well below its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Mondego River, one of the longest rivers entirely within Portugal. The Mondego River flows westward to the Atlantic Ocean near Figueira da Foz. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the Mondego basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and is used for irrigation and recreation.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Mondego River basin, which flows approximately 234 kilometers from the Serra da Estrela to the Atlantic Ocean near Figueira da Foz. The Mondego estuary is an ecologically important area supporting migratory birds and fish species. The secondary treatment provided by the plant helps reduce organic pollution and nutrient loads, protecting downstream water quality and the sensitive coastal environment.
Frequently asked questions
Quinta de Cima Nova ETAR is located in the civil parish of São Miguel, Santa Eufémia e Rabaçal, in the municipality of Penela, Coimbra District, Portugal.
The plant serves approximately 2,000 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that flow into the Mondego River, which ultimately reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of its size.
As a Portuguese plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for populations between 2,000 and 10,000.
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