Overview
El Burgo wastewater treatment plant in Andalucía, Spain, serves 2,500 people with secondary treatment. It discharges 453.12 m³/day into the local watershed, supporting the Sierra de las Nieves region.
El Burgo wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of El Burgo, within the Sierra de las Nieves area of Málaga, Andalucía, Spain. It serves a population of approximately 2,500 residents, making it a small-scale facility in a rural, mountainous setting. The plant is situated along the Carretera de Casarabonela road. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. With a designed capacity of 2,500 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 453.12 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The treatment process involves biological degradation of organic matter, followed by sedimentation. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Guadalhorce River basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting the sensitive karstic aquifer systems of the Sierra de las Nieves, a region known for its biodiversity and water resources. By removing pollutants, the facility helps maintain water quality in downstream ecosystems, including rivers and coastal areas.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a local stream that flows into the Guadalhorce River, which ultimately reaches the Mediterranean Sea near Málaga. The Sierra de las Nieves area is a mountainous region with limestone geology, supporting diverse aquatic habitats and groundwater-dependent ecosystems. The treatment plant helps protect these sensitive environments from nutrient pollution and organic loading.
Frequently asked questions
El Burgo WWTP is located on Carretera de Casarabonela in El Burgo, within the Sierra de las Nieves region of Málaga, Andalucía, Spain.
The plant serves approximately 2,500 residents in the municipality of El Burgo and surrounding areas.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local stream that flows into the Guadalhorce River, which eventually reaches the Mediterranean Sea.
The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for small agglomerations.
As a Spanish facility serving 2,500 people, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent.
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