Overview
Zambujeira do Mar wastewater treatment plant serves São Teotónio, Portugal, with a designed capacity of 1.00 m³/s. It treats wastewater for approximately 7,000 people and discharges into the local watershed near the Atlantic coast.
The Zambujeira do Mar wastewater treatment plant is located in São Teotónio, within the municipality of Odemira in the Beja district of Portugal. It serves a population of approximately 7,000 people, making it a small to medium agglomeration under Portuguese and EU classification. The plant is situated near the Atlantic coast, within 50 km of the shoreline, and its operations are subject to national and European environmental regulations. As a Portuguese facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size discharging into coastal waters. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 m³/s, indicating it is sized to handle the wastewater load from the local community. The regulatory framework ensures that effluent quality meets standards for biological oxygen demand and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean. The receiving environment includes coastal ecosystems that support diverse marine life and are important for local fisheries and tourism. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of nearby beaches and the broader coastal zone from pollution.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the local watershed that flows to the Atlantic Ocean near the Costa Vicentina, a region known for its pristine beaches and rich biodiversity. The downstream environment includes coastal lagoons and estuaries that serve as nurseries for fish and migratory birds. Protecting this area from nutrient pollution is critical to maintaining water quality and supporting the local economy based on tourism and fishing.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in São Teotónio, in the municipality of Odemira, Beja district, Portugal. Its address is Ladeira da Azenha, São Teotónio, Odemira, Beja, 7630-810, Portugal.
The plant serves approximately 7,000 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean near the Costa Vicentina coast.
As a Portuguese plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for coastal discharges from agglomerations of this size.
For small to medium agglomerations in Portugal, secondary treatment is standard, often using activated sludge or trickling filter processes, to meet EU effluent quality standards.
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