Overview
CHELLA wastewater treatment plant serves the municipality of Chella in Comunitat Valenciana, Spain. It has a designed capacity of 1.00 and serves a population of approximately 7,502.
The CHELLA wastewater treatment plant is located in Chella, a municipality in the La Canal de Navarrés comarca of Valencia, within the Comunitat Valenciana region of eastern Spain. The plant serves a population of around 7,502 residents, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under Spanish and EU regulations. As a plant in Spain, CHELLA operates under the framework of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size discharging into freshwater or estuaries. Spanish wastewater infrastructure is typically managed by municipal or regional water authorities, with oversight from the relevant autonomous community. The treated effluent from CHELLA is discharged into the local hydrological network, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Júcar River basin. The Comunitat Valenciana region features a semi-arid Mediterranean climate, and water resources are critical for both agriculture and tourism. Proper wastewater treatment helps protect downstream ecosystems, including coastal wetlands and marine habitats that support diverse aquatic life.
Environmental context
CHELLA's treated wastewater flows into the Júcar River basin, which drains into the Mediterranean Sea near Cullera. The Júcar River supports irrigated agriculture and provides habitat for native fish species such as the Valencia toothcarp. Downstream, the Albufera de València coastal lagoon is a ecologically sensitive area that benefits from nutrient management in upstream treatment plants. Protecting water quality in this basin is essential for maintaining biodiversity and supporting regional water reuse for irrigation.
Frequently asked questions
The CHELLA wastewater treatment plant is located in Chella, a municipality in the La Canal de Navarrés comarca of Valencia, within the Comunitat Valenciana region of eastern Spain.
The CHELLA plant serves approximately 7,502 residents, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under EU wastewater directives.
The treated effluent from CHELLA is discharged into the local hydrological network, which flows into the Júcar River basin and ultimately reaches the Mediterranean Sea.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000 are required to have secondary treatment. CHELLA, serving about 7,500 people, falls into this category and must meet the directive's standards for biological oxygen demand and suspended solids.
In Spain, wastewater treatment plants serving populations of 5,000 to 10,000 typically employ secondary biological treatment, such as activated sludge or trickling filters, to meet EU standards. Many also incorporate nutrient removal to protect sensitive receiving waters like the Mediterranean Sea.
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