ALCANADRE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Alcanadre, La Rioja, Spain

The ALCANADRE wastewater treatment plant is located in Alcanadre, a municipality in the autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,200 residents, providing secondary treatment to municipal wastewater. As a small agglomeration, it plays a key role in protecting local water quality in this inland region. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), secondary treatment is the standard requirement for inland freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The plant's designed capacity of 2,760 cubic meters per day indicates it can handle peak flows, while the average daily discharge volume of 433.37 cubic meters suggests operational headroom. The treated effluent from ALCANADRE is discharged into the Ebro River basin, which ultimately flows into the Mediterranean Sea via the Ebro Delta. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life and are important for regional agriculture and ecosystems. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic load and protect downstream ecological health.

ALCANADRE's treated wastewater enters the Ebro River basin, a major hydrological system in northeastern Spain. The Ebro River flows eastward to the Mediterranean Sea, forming the ecologically significant Ebro Delta. The plant's discharge contributes to the basin's nutrient load, but secondary treatment mitigates organic pollution, supporting aquatic habitats and agricultural water quality in the region.