Guijo de Galisteo Wastewater Treatment Plant, Extremadura, Spain

The Guijo de Galisteo wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Guijo de Galisteo, in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. It serves a population of approximately 3,000 residents, typical of a small agglomeration in rural western Spain. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. The designed capacity of 3,000 m³/day aligns with the population served, and the plant discharges an average of 543.74 m³/day of treated wastewater. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Tagus River basin, which flows westward through Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting local streams and groundwater from untreated sewage, supporting the ecological health of the region's aquatic habitats.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Tagus River basin, which flows through Extremadura and into Portugal before reaching the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a region known for its Mediterranean forest and dehesa ecosystems. Proper wastewater treatment is essential to prevent nutrient enrichment and maintain water quality in downstream rivers and reservoirs.