Abrucena Wastewater Treatment Plant - Abrucena, Almería, Andalucía, Spain

The Abrucena wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Abrucena, within the province of Almería in the autonomous community of Andalucía, Spain. This facility serves a population of approximately 2,386 residents, reflecting its role as a small-scale municipal treatment plant in a rural inland setting. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,560 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 432.46 cubic meters per day, indicating operational capacity well within its design limits. The treated effluent from the Abrucena plant is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Andarax River or nearby seasonal streams. This inland location, over 50 km from the coast, means the discharge primarily affects local freshwater ecosystems. Proper secondary treatment helps protect the ecological health of the receiving water bodies and downstream environments.

The Abrucena plant discharges into the local watershed within the Almería province, a semi-arid region in southeastern Spain. The treated effluent flows into seasonal streams that are part of the Andarax River basin, which drains into the Mediterranean Sea near Almería city. The local aquatic environment supports diverse species adapted to intermittent flows, and the plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality for downstream agricultural and ecological uses.