Benalua de las Villas Wastewater Treatment Plant, Granada, Andalusia

Benalua de las Villas wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Benalúa de las Villas, in the Comarca de Los Montes, Granada, Andalusia, Spain. The plant served a population of approximately 2,300 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Spanish and EU regulations. The facility is currently closed. The plant provided advanced treatment, which goes beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal to protect sensitive receiving waters. The plant had a designed capacity of 1,400 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of about 417 cubic meters per day. The treated effluent was discharged into local streams that are part of the Guadalquivir River basin. The Guadalquivir flows through Andalusia and into the Gulf of Cádiz (Atlantic Ocean). The plant's advanced treatment helped protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and supported water quality in the region's agricultural and natural areas.

The plant discharged into the Guadalquivir River basin, which drains into the Gulf of Cádiz in the Atlantic Ocean. The Guadalquivir supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for birds. The advanced treatment provided nutrient removal, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream reservoirs and coastal waters.