Overview
Cortegana wastewater treatment plant serves the municipality of Cortegana in Andalucía, Spain, with a population of approximately 7,300. The plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, ensuring compliance with secondary treatme
The Cortegana wastewater treatment plant is located in the Sierra de Huelva region of Andalucía, Spain, serving the municipality of Cortegana. With a population equivalent of around 7,300, it is classified as a small agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is situated inland, away from coastal areas, and its treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Atlantic Ocean via the Guadiana River basin. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), agglomerations of this size are required to provide secondary treatment or equivalent. The plant is expected to meet these standards to protect the receiving environment. The regulatory framework in Spain, enforced by regional authorities in Andalucía, ensures compliance with discharge limits and monitoring requirements. The plant's discharge contributes to the local hydrological network, which flows through the Sierra de Huelva and into the Guadiana River. This river system supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the region. Proper treatment at Cortegana helps maintain water quality in downstream ecosystems, including the Guadiana estuary and the Gulf of Cádiz.
Environmental context
The Cortegana plant discharges into local streams that feed into the Guadiana River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Guadiana flows southward through Spain and Portugal, eventually reaching the Gulf of Cádiz in the Atlantic Ocean. This watershed supports a variety of freshwater and estuarine habitats, including important fish spawning grounds and migratory bird routes. Effective wastewater treatment is crucial to prevent nutrient enrichment and contamination in these sensitive ecosystems.
Frequently asked questions
The Cortegana wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Cortegana, in the Sierra de Huelva region of Andalucía, Spain. The address is Camino de los Talabarteros, Cortegana, Huelva.
The plant serves a population of approximately 7,300 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU wastewater treatment regulations.
The treated effluent from the Cortegana plant is discharged into local watercourses that are part of the Guadiana River basin, ultimately flowing into the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Cádiz.
The plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. Compliance is enforced by regional authorities in Andalucía.
For small agglomerations like Cortegana, the EU directive mandates secondary treatment or equivalent. In Spain, this typically involves biological treatment processes such as activated sludge or biofilters to reduce organic matter and nutrients before discharge.
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