Salvaterra de Magos Wastewater Treatment Plant | Advanced Treatment, Tagus River Discharge

The Salvaterra de Magos wastewater treatment plant is located in Salvaterra de Magos, Santarém District, Portugal. It serves a population of approximately 4,500 residents, making it a small-scale municipal facility. The plant is situated near the Tagus River, which is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, ensuring a high level of effluent quality. Its designed capacity is 5,970 m³/day, with an actual discharge volume of 750.29 m³/day, indicating operational capacity well below design. As a Portuguese facility, it operates under national regulations that transpose the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment for discharges into sensitive areas. The treated effluent is discharged into the Tagus River, which flows westward through Portugal and into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The Tagus estuary is an ecologically important area, supporting diverse aquatic life and serving as a migratory corridor for birds. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect this downstream environment.

The plant discharges into the Tagus River, which flows through central Portugal and empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Tagus Estuary. The estuary is a vital wetland ecosystem that supports diverse fish, bird, and plant species. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting water quality in the river and the downstream marine environment.