AHILLONES Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ahillones, Extremadura, Spain

AHILLONES is a wastewater treatment plant located in Ahillones, a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,200 people and is designed to handle a capacity of 4,000 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 398.74 cubic meters per day. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. This directive mandates secondary treatment for populations between 2,000 and 10,000 in freshwater areas, ensuring effective removal of organic matter and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Guadiana River basin. The Guadiana River flows through Extremadura and into the Gulf of Cádiz, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and agricultural activities along its course. The plant's operation helps protect downstream water quality and ecological health.

The plant discharges into the Guadiana River basin, a major watercourse in southwestern Europe that flows through Spain and Portugal before reaching the Gulf of Cádiz. The Guadiana supports a variety of aquatic life, including endemic fish species, and its estuary is an important habitat for migratory birds. The secondary treatment provided by the plant reduces organic pollution, helping to maintain the ecological balance of the river and its downstream environments.