Overview
Vale Faro wastewater treatment plant serves Albufeira, Portugal, a coastal city in the Algarve region. It handles a population equivalent of 130,000 and operates under EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive standards.
Vale Faro is a wastewater treatment plant located in Albufeira, a coastal city in the Faro district of Portugal's Algarve region. The plant serves a population equivalent of 130,000, classifying it as a large agglomeration under EU regulations. Its address is near the INATEL Albufeira complex, close to the Atlantic coast. As a large-scale facility in Portugal, Vale Faro is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment as a minimum and tertiary treatment for discharges into sensitive areas. The plant's designed capacity is 1. Portuguese wastewater plants typically employ activated sludge or similar biological processes to meet regulatory standards. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the Atlantic Ocean, given its coastal location within 50 km of the coast. The receiving water body supports diverse marine life and is part of the Algarve's coastal ecosystem, which includes important habitats for fish and migratory birds. The region's tourism-driven economy relies on clean coastal waters, making effective wastewater treatment critical for environmental and public health.
Environmental context
Vale Faro discharges treated wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean along the Algarve coast. The coastal waters here support diverse marine ecosystems, including seagrass beds and rocky reefs that provide habitat for fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. The area is also part of a migratory corridor for seabirds and marine species. Effective treatment is essential to prevent nutrient enrichment and protect water quality for tourism and fisheries.
Frequently asked questions
Vale Faro is located in Albufeira, a coastal city in the Faro district of Portugal's Algarve region. Its address is near INATEL Albufeira, Rua do Oceano, Bairro dos Pescadores.
Vale Faro serves a population equivalent of 130,000, classifying it as a large agglomeration under EU regulations.
Vale Faro discharges treated wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean, as it is located within 50 km of the coast. The plant's effluent is treated to meet EU standards before release.
Vale Faro operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for large agglomerations and tertiary treatment if discharging into sensitive areas.
For a plant serving 130,000 people in Portugal, typical treatment includes secondary biological processes like activated sludge, often with nutrient removal to protect coastal waters.
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