Terrugem Wastewater Treatment Plant, Elvas, Portugal

The Terrugem wastewater treatment plant is located in the parish of Terrugem, within the municipality of Elvas, in the Portalegre district of Portugal. This facility serves a population of approximately 2,500 residents, making it a small-scale municipal treatment plant in the Alentejo region. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 2,583 m³/day and an average daily discharge volume of 416.83 m³/day, the plant operates well below its maximum capacity. 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 local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Guadiana River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Guadiana River flows southward, forming part of the border between Portugal and Spain, before emptying into the Gulf of Cadiz in the Atlantic Ocean. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the ecological health of these downstream waters, which support diverse aquatic life and agricultural activities.

The Terrugem plant discharges into the Guadiana River basin, which flows through the Alentejo region and eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Cadiz. The Guadiana is a vital water resource for irrigation and supports a variety of fish species, including the endangered Iberian barbel. Advanced treatment at the plant helps reduce nutrient loading, protecting downstream water quality and the estuarine ecosystem at the river mouth.