Overview
Ribeira de Colares S2 is a wastewater treatment plant serving 22,200 people in Sintra, Portugal. Located near the coast, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Ribeira de Colares S2 is a wastewater treatment plant located in the Sintra municipality of the Lisbon region, Portugal. It serves a population of approximately 22,200 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is situated near the Ribeira de Sintra watercourse, within the broader Tagus River basin. As a Portuguese facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size discharging into freshwater or estuaries. The designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day), indicating a facility sized for the served population. The regulatory framework ensures appropriate treatment standards. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the Ribeira de Colares, a small coastal stream that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near the town of Colares. This coastal discharge point is within 50 km of the coast, making it subject to additional scrutiny under the directive for sensitive areas. The downstream environment supports diverse aquatic life and contributes to the ecological health of the Lisbon coastal region.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Ribeira de Colares, a small river that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Sintra. This coastal watershed supports a variety of marine and estuarine habitats, including nursery areas for fish and migratory bird routes. The proximity to the coast means that treated effluent must meet stringent standards to protect the sensitive marine environment and recreational waters.
Frequently asked questions
Ribeira de Colares S2 is located in the Sintra municipality, Lisbon district, Portugal, near the Ribeira de Colares watercourse.
The plant serves approximately 22,200 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU wastewater directives.
The treated effluent is discharged into the Ribeira de Colares, a coastal stream that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Sintra.
As a Portuguese plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations over 2,000 people and more advanced treatment in sensitive coastal areas.
Under the EU UWWTD, plants serving 10,000 to 150,000 people typically require secondary treatment (biological treatment) as a minimum, with potential tertiary treatment if discharging into sensitive areas like coastal zones.
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