GUADALMEZ Wastewater Treatment Plant, Guadalmez, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

GUADALMEZ is a wastewater treatment plant located in the small town of Guadalmez, within the province of Ciudad Real in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,700 residents, reflecting its role in managing municipal wastewater for this rural community. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters. The plant discharges 182.00 cubic meters of treated wastewater daily. The treated effluent from GUADALMEZ is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Guadiana River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Guadiana River flows southwest through Spain and Portugal before reaching the Gulf of Cádiz in the Atlantic Ocean. The advanced treatment helps protect the ecological health of these downstream waters, supporting aquatic life and water quality in the region.

The plant's discharge enters the Guadiana River basin, which flows through the semi-arid landscapes of Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Guadiana supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including migratory fish species and wetland habitats. Advanced treatment at GUADALMEZ reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream reservoirs and the river's estuary.