GENOVES Wastewater Treatment Plant, el Genovés, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain

The GENOVES wastewater treatment plant is located in el Genovés, a municipality in the la Costera comarca of Valencia, Spain. The plant serves a population of 4,365 and operates under Spain's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. As a secondary treatment facility, GENOVES employs biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,976 cubic meters per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 418.76 cubic meters, indicating significant spare capacity. The facility is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast, but within 50 km of the Mediterranean Sea. The treated effluent from GENOVES is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Mediterranean Sea via the Júcar River basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting the region's water resources and downstream ecosystems, including the Albufera de Valencia lagoon, a sensitive wetland area that supports diverse aquatic life and migratory birds.

The GENOVES plant discharges into the Júcar River basin, which flows eastward into the Mediterranean Sea near Valencia. The downstream environment includes the Albufera de Valencia, a coastal lagoon of high ecological importance that supports diverse aquatic life and serves as a key stopover for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in this sensitive water body.