Benamaurel Wastewater Treatment Plant: Serving Benamaurel, Andalusia, Spain

The Benamaurel wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Benamaurel, in the Comarca de Baza, Granada, within the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. This facility serves a population of approximately 1,600 residents, making it a small-scale municipal treatment plant typical of rural inland communities in southern Spain. 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 with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. With a designed capacity of 2,100 m³/day and a reported discharge volume of 290 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating potential for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into the local hydrological network, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Guadiana Menor River and the Guadalquivir River basin. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting downstream water quality in a region characterized by semi-arid climate and agricultural activity, where water resources are particularly sensitive to pollution.

The plant discharges into the Guadiana Menor River catchment, a tributary of the Guadalquivir River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of Cádiz. This watershed supports irrigated agriculture and diverse aquatic habitats. The region's semi-arid climate means that maintaining water quality is critical for both ecological health and human use, including drinking water supply and irrigation.