CENICIENTOS Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cenicientos, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain

CENICIENTOS is a wastewater treatment plant located in the municipality of Cenicientos, within the Comunidad de Madrid, Spain. The plant serves a population of around 3,183 residents, reflecting its role in managing domestic wastewater for this small inland community. As a small agglomeration in Spain, the plant is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment for discharges into freshwater bodies. Plants of this scale typically employ secondary or tertiary treatment to meet regulatory standards for organic matter and nutrient removal. The treated effluent from CENICIENTOS is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Tagus River basin, one of the Iberian Peninsula's major river systems. The Tagus River flows westward through Spain and Portugal, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The plant's operations help protect the ecological health of these downstream waters.

The plant discharges into the Tagus River basin, which flows through central Spain and Portugal before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Tagus supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and urban use. Protecting water quality in this basin is critical for maintaining ecosystem services and meeting EU Water Framework Directive objectives.