ARAIA, Albeiz | Spain Wastewater

Overview

ARAIA wastewater treatment plant serves Albeiz, Asparrena in Euskadi, Spain. It provides secondary treatment for a population of 2,000 with a designed capacity of 3,700 m³/day.

ARAIA is a wastewater treatment plant located in Albeiz, within the municipality of Asparrena in the Basque Country (Euskadi), Spain. It serves a small community of approximately 2,000 people, reflecting its role in rural wastewater management in the region. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. Its designed capacity of 3,700 m³/day indicates it is sized to handle the local wastewater load effectively. Treated effluent from the plant is discharged into the local watershed, which drains into the Zadorra River, a tributary of the Ebro River. The Ebro ultimately flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the Zadorra and Ebro river ecosystems from nutrient pollution and organic load.

Environmental context

The plant discharges into the Zadorra River basin, which feeds into the Ebro River, one of Spain's major rivers flowing to the Mediterranean Sea. The Ebro Delta is an ecologically sensitive area supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory birds. Secondary treatment helps reduce organic matter and suspended solids, mitigating eutrophication risks in downstream waters.

Frequently asked questions

ARAIA is located in Albeiz, a locality in the municipality of Asparrena, in the province of Araba/Alava, within the Basque Country (Euskadi), Spain.

The plant serves a population of approximately 2,000 people, typical of a small rural agglomeration in the Basque Country.

The treated effluent is discharged into the local watercourse, which flows into the Zadorra River, a tributary of the Ebro River, eventually reaching the Mediterranean Sea.

ARAIA provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size (2,000-10,000 population equivalent).

As a Spanish plant, ARAIA operates under the national transposition of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for inland plants serving between 2,000 and 10,000 people.