HIGUERA DE LA SIERRA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Higuera de la Sierra, Andalucía

HIGUERA DE LA SIERRA is a wastewater treatment plant located in the Sierra de Huelva region of Andalucía, Spain. It serves the town of Higuera de la Sierra, a small inland community in the province of Huelva. The plant provides secondary treatment for a population of 2,625, with a designed capacity of 2,625 population equivalents. As a secondary treatment facility, the plant meets the minimum treatment requirements under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive mandates secondary treatment for all discharges from agglomerations with a population equivalent greater than 2,000, which applies to this plant. The plant's discharge volume is 475.77 cubic meters per day. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean via the Guadiana River basin. The Sierra de Huelva region is characterized by its mountainous terrain and Mediterranean climate, with the plant playing a key role in protecting local water quality and downstream ecosystems.

The plant's treated effluent flows into the local river system within the Guadiana River basin, which drains into the Gulf of Cádiz in the Atlantic Ocean. The Sierra de Huelva area supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a region known for its ecological sensitivity, including important migratory corridors for birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and protect downstream water quality.