GORLIZ Wastewater Treatment Plant, Gorliz, Euskadi, Spain

The GORLIZ wastewater treatment plant is located in Gorliz, a coastal town in the Basque Country (Euskadi), Spain. Serving a population of approximately 31,399, the plant is part of the region's municipal wastewater infrastructure, which manages effluent from residential and commercial sources. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 volume units, indicating its scale relative to the community it serves. As a Spanish facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size (between 10,000 and 150,000 population equivalent). The directive also requires more advanced treatment if the discharge enters sensitive areas, such as coastal zones or estuaries. Given Gorliz's proximity to the Bay of Biscay, the plant likely adheres to additional nutrient removal standards to protect marine water quality. The treated effluent from the GORLIZ plant is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic Ocean). The receiving water body supports diverse marine life and is an important ecological zone for fisheries and migratory species. The plant's operation plays a key role in maintaining the environmental health of the coastal waters and the broader Cantabrian Sea ecosystem.

The GORLIZ plant discharges into the local drainage network that flows into the Bay of Biscay, part of the Atlantic Ocean. This coastal region is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse marine habitats including seagrass beds and rocky reefs. The plant's effluent management is critical to preventing nutrient enrichment and protecting water quality for both aquatic life and recreational use along the Basque coast.