FUENCALIENTE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Fuencaliente, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

FUENCALIENTE is a wastewater treatment plant located in Fuencaliente, a municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,284 residents, reflecting its role in managing domestic wastewater for this small inland community. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. This level of treatment is typical for plants in sensitive areas under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires tertiary treatment for discharges into sensitive water bodies. The plant's discharge volume is 400 cubic meters per day. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Guadiana River basin. The Guadiana River flows westward through Spain and Portugal before reaching the Gulf of Cádiz in the Atlantic Ocean. The advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and supports water quality in the region.

The plant discharges into the Guadiana River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Guadiana River flows through semi-arid landscapes and supports diverse aquatic life, including endemic fish species. Downstream, the river forms part of the border between Spain and Portugal before emptying into the Gulf of Cádiz. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical for preventing eutrophication in the river and its estuary.