HUETOR SANTILLAN Wastewater Treatment Plant, Huétor de Santillán, Andalucía

HUETOR SANTILLAN is a wastewater treatment plant located in Huétor de Santillán, in the Comarca de la Vega de Granada, Granada, Andalucía, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,000 people, reflecting its role as a small-scale municipal facility in a rural or peri-urban setting. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The designed capacity is 3,000 m³/day, and the reported discharge volume is 543.74 m³/day, indicating operational capacity well within design limits. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Guadalquivir basin or nearby coastal systems. The plant's inland location, over 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge supports local water quality and downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into the local river network within the Guadalquivir basin, which flows through Andalucía and empties into the Gulf of Cádiz (Atlantic Ocean). The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life and are part of a region with significant agricultural and ecological value. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality, particularly in areas sensitive to nutrient loading.