CANAVERAL Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cañaveral, Extremadura, Spain

The CANAVERAL wastewater treatment plant is located in Cañaveral, a municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. It serves a population of approximately 5,500 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Spanish and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from settlements of this size. As a secondary treatment facility, CANAVERAL uses biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharging treated water. The plant has a designed capacity of 3,692 m³/day and currently treats an average daily flow of about 997 m³, indicating it operates well below its capacity. This spare capacity allows for future population growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Tagus River basin, one of the most important river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Tagus River flows westward through Spain and Portugal, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The plant's operations help protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and maintain water quality in the region.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Tagus River, which flows through Extremadura and central Portugal before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Tagus basin supports diverse aquatic life, including several fish species and migratory birds. The secondary treatment provided by CANAVERAL reduces organic pollution and helps maintain the ecological health of the river system, which is important for both biodiversity and downstream water users.