Overview
Vilarinho dos Freires_Poiares is a secondary wastewater treatment plant serving 2,400 people in Peso da Régua, Portugal. It discharges 400.15 m³/day of treated effluent into the local watershed.
Vilarinho dos Freires_Poiares is a secondary wastewater treatment plant located in the civil parish of Vilarinho dos Freires, within the municipality of Peso da Régua in the Vila Real district of northern Portugal. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,400 residents, reflecting a small to medium agglomeration typical of the Douro Valley region. As a secondary treatment facility, the plant provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the standards required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,450 m³/day and currently discharges an average of 400.15 m³/day, indicating significant spare capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watercourse, which ultimately drains into the Douro River, one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula. The Douro River flows westward through the Douro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, before reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Porto. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of this ecologically and economically important river system.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Douro River, which flows through the Douro Valley and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Porto. The Douro River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish species such as the European eel and lamprey. The surrounding region is known for its terraced vineyards and sensitive ecosystems that rely on good water quality.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Vilarinho dos Freires, a civil parish in the municipality of Peso da Régua, Vila Real district, northern Portugal. The address is EM 313, Paredes, Pitarrela, Vilarinho dos Freires, 5050-364.
The plant serves approximately 2,400 residents, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local watercourse that flows into the Douro River, which eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
The plant provides secondary treatment, which includes biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting EU standards for agglomerations of this size.
The plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), transposed into Portuguese law. For agglomerations serving 2,000-10,000 people, secondary treatment is required, and the plant complies with this standard.
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