Vila Real Wastewater Treatment Plant - Serving 54,500 People in Northern Portugal

The Vila Real wastewater treatment plant is located in the Folhadela parish of Vila Real, Portugal, serving a population of approximately 54,500 residents. As a medium-sized agglomeration, the plant is part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure managed by local authorities. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations with a population equivalent between 10,000 and 150,000 are required to have secondary treatment as a minimum standard. The plant's treatment process and capacity are designed to meet these regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance with European environmental standards for wastewater discharge. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Douro River basin. The Douro River flows westward through northern Portugal and 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 used for agriculture, recreation, and drinking water supply downstream.

The Vila Real plant discharges into the Douro River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Douro River flows approximately 897 km from its source in Spain to the Atlantic Ocean at Porto. The watershed supports a variety of ecosystems, including riparian forests and aquatic habitats. The plant's treatment helps maintain water quality in the river, which is important for downstream communities and ecological health.