El Pedernoso Wastewater Treatment Plant: Serving El Pedernoso, Castilla-La Mancha

El Pedernoso wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of El Pedernoso, in the Castilla-La Mancha region of central Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,253 residents, providing secondary treatment to manage municipal wastewater from the town. As a secondary treatment facility, the plant meets the standard requirements under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive mandates secondary treatment for populations between 2,000 and 10,000 in inland areas, which applies to El Pedernoso. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Guadiana River basin. The Guadiana River flows westward through the La Mancha plain and eventually reaches the Gulf of Cádiz in the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality and supporting the ecological health of the Guadiana basin.

The plant discharges into the Guadiana River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Guadiana flows through the arid La Mancha region, where water resources are scarce and sensitive to pollution. Downstream, the river supports diverse aquatic life and irrigated agriculture before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality in this ecologically important basin.