Souropires Wastewater Treatment Plant, Souro Pires, Portugal

The Souropires wastewater treatment plant is located in Souro Pires, a parish in the municipality of Pinhel, Guarda district, Portugal. It serves a population of approximately 2,600 people, providing secondary treatment for municipal wastewater. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,610 cubic meters per day and currently discharges 433.50 cubic meters per day of treated effluent. As a secondary treatment facility, Souropires meets the minimum treatment standards 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 directive mandates secondary treatment for such communities to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge into receiving waters. The treated effluent from Souropires is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Douro River basin. The Douro River flows westward through Portugal and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Porto. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the Douro basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and is important for agriculture and tourism in the region.

The Souropires plant discharges into the Douro River basin, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Douro is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, supporting a variety of fish species and providing water for irrigation and drinking. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollution, protecting downstream ecosystems and maintaining the ecological health of the river and its estuary.