EDAR de La Quinta - Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Santa Úrsula, Tenerife

EDAR de La Quinta is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in the Malpaís area of La Quinta, within the municipality of Santa Úrsula on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,028 residents and has a designed capacity of 2,000 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 367.57 cubic meters per day. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. As a facility in Spain, it operates under the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires advanced treatment for discharges into sensitive areas. The plant's scale corresponds to a small agglomeration, for which the directive mandates at least secondary treatment, but the plant exceeds this requirement with advanced treatment. The treated effluent is discharged into the local environment, likely into the Atlantic Ocean given the plant's coastal location on Tenerife. The island's volcanic terrain and steep slopes mean that wastewater management is crucial to protect both groundwater and coastal waters. The plant helps safeguard the marine ecosystem around Tenerife, which supports diverse aquatic life and is important for tourism and local fisheries.

The plant discharges into the Atlantic Ocean near the northern coast of Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands. The coastal waters are ecologically sensitive, supporting seagrass meadows and marine biodiversity. The plant's advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient loading and protects the marine environment from eutrophication.