ETAR de Los Gigantes Wastewater Treatment Plant, Santiago del Teide, Tenerife

ETAR de Los Gigantes is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the coastal town of Los Gigantes, part of Santiago del Teide on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 12,400 residents and visitors, supporting the local community and tourism infrastructure in this popular destination. As a plant in the European Union, ETAR de Los Gigantes operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day or similar units), and it is expected to meet the directive's standards for effluent quality to protect the surrounding environment. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean, given its coastal location on the western coast of Tenerife. The receiving waters are part of the Macaronesian marine ecosystem, which supports diverse marine life including cetaceans and sea turtles. Proper treatment is essential to prevent nutrient pollution and protect the sensitive coastal environment and tourism-dependent economy.

The plant discharges into the Atlantic Ocean near Los Gigantes, a coastal area on the western coast of Tenerife. The marine environment is part of the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem, characterized by upwelling and high biodiversity. Treated effluent must meet stringent standards to protect coral reefs, seagrass beds, and species such as loggerhead sea turtles and bottlenose dolphins that inhabit these waters.