Higuera de Vargas Wastewater Treatment Plant - Extremadura, Spain

The Higuera de Vargas wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Higuera de Vargas, in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It serves a population of approximately 3,300 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Spanish and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. Its designed capacity is 3,360 m³/day, with an average daily discharge volume of 598.12 m³, indicating ample reserve capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Guadiana River basin, one of the major rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. The Guadiana flows southward to the Gulf of Cádiz, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and agricultural water use along its course.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Guadiana River, which flows through the arid landscapes of Extremadura and into the Gulf of Cádiz. The Guadiana basin supports important wetland habitats and migratory bird routes, making proper wastewater treatment critical to preventing eutrophication and maintaining water quality in downstream ecosystems.