Overview
Serzedo wastewater treatment plant serves Guimarães, Portugal, with a population equivalent of 19,000. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this scale.
Serzedo wastewater treatment plant is located in the parish of Serzedo, within the municipality of Guimarães, in the Braga district of northern Portugal. The facility serves a population equivalent of approximately 19,000 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under European Union regulations. As a plant operating in Portugal, Serzedo is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for discharges into freshwater and estuaries from agglomerations of this size. The directive also mandates more advanced treatment if the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas, such as those prone to eutrophication. The treated effluent from Serzedo is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean via the Ave River basin. The region's rivers support diverse aquatic life and are important for both ecological balance and human use, including agriculture and recreation.
Environmental context
The Serzedo plant discharges into the Ave River basin, which flows westward through northern Portugal and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Vila do Conde. The Ave River and its tributaries support a variety of freshwater species and provide habitat for migratory fish. The downstream coastal zone includes sandy beaches and rocky shores that are ecologically sensitive to nutrient loading and pollution from upstream sources.
Frequently asked questions
Serzedo wastewater treatment plant is located in the parish of Serzedo, within the municipality of Guimarães, in the Braga district of northern Portugal.
The plant serves a population equivalent of approximately 19,000 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated effluent from Serzedo is discharged into the local water system, which flows into the Ave River basin and ultimately reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
As a plant serving 19,000 people in Portugal, Serzedo is required to provide at least secondary treatment under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). If the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas, tertiary treatment may be required.
For a medium-sized agglomeration of 19,000 people in Portugal, secondary treatment is the standard requirement under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. This typically involves biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids.
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