Overview
Santo Estevao wastewater treatment plant in Benavente, Portugal serves 1,400 people with secondary treatment. The plant is now closed but historically discharged treated wastewater into the local watershed.
Santo Estevao is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Benavente, Santarém District, Portugal. It served a population of 1,400 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU standards. The plant is now closed, but its infrastructure remains part of the region's sanitation history. The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the minimum required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The treated effluent was discharged into the local watershed, which drains into the Tagus River basin. The Tagus River flows westward through Portugal and into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The plant's operation contributed to protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically important river system.
Environmental context
The plant discharged into the Tagus River basin, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Tagus estuary supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish and birds. Proper wastewater treatment helps maintain water quality in this sensitive downstream environment.
Frequently asked questions
Santo Estevao is located in Benavente, Santarém District, Portugal, at EN 118-1, Santo Estêvão.
The plant served a population of 1,400 people, making it a small agglomeration under EU classification.
The plant discharged treated effluent into the local watershed, which drains into the Tagus River basin and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.
The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for freshwater discharges from small agglomerations.
As an EU member state, Portugal implements the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations over 2,000 population equivalent discharging to freshwater, and more stringent treatment for sensitive areas.
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