HUMANES Wastewater Treatment Plant, Humanes, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

The HUMANES wastewater treatment plant is located in Humanes, a municipality in the province of Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,180 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Spanish and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The plant discharges an average of 523 cubic meters of treated wastewater per day. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Tagus River basin, one of the most important river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Tagus River flows westward through Spain and Portugal before reaching the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and providing water for agriculture and urban use.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Tagus River basin, which flows through central Spain and Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. The Tagus River supports a variety of fish species, including the endangered Iberian barbel, and its estuary is an important wetland for migratory birds. Secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollution and protect downstream water quality.