Chirivel Wastewater Treatment Plant, Chirivel, Andalusia, Spain

The Chirivel wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Chirivel, within the Los Vélez region of Almería, Andalusia, Spain. Designed to serve a population of 1,698, the plant provided secondary treatment to municipal wastewater before its closure. The facility's designed capacity was 2,000 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 307.76 cubic meters per day. As a secondary treatment plant, Chirivel met the minimum treatment standards required under the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive mandates secondary treatment for all discharges from agglomerations with a population equivalent greater than 2,000, and Chirivel's design capacity aligns with this threshold. The plant's operational status is currently closed, which may reflect decommissioning or temporary suspension. The treated effluent from Chirivel was discharged into the Rambla de Chirivel, a seasonal watercourse that flows into the Río Almanzora. The Almanzora River eventually reaches the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of Almería. The local watershed supports semi-arid ecosystems, and the Rambla de Chirivel provides intermittent flow critical for riparian habitats and agricultural irrigation in the region.

Chirivel's treated wastewater was discharged into the Rambla de Chirivel, a tributary of the Río Almanzora, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea near Almería. The Almanzora basin is characterized by a semi-arid climate, where water resources are scarce and seasonal. The Rambla de Chirivel supports local riparian vegetation and provides habitat for aquatic species adapted to intermittent flows. Downstream, the Almanzora River irrigates agricultural lands and sustains wetlands that are important for migratory birds. The Mediterranean coastal zone near the river mouth is ecologically sensitive, hosting seagrass meadows and marine biodiversity.