Overview
JARAIZ DE LA VERA wastewater treatment plant serves Jaraíz de la Vera, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, with a population equivalent of 12,000. The facility operates under Spain's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
JARAIZ DE LA VERA wastewater treatment plant is located in Jaraíz de la Vera, a municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. The plant serves a population equivalent of approximately 12,000, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations. Its inland location in the Vera Valley places it within the Tagus River basin, which drains westward toward Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. As a Spanish facility, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), transposed into national law via Royal Decree-Law 11/1995 and subsequent regulations. For agglomerations of this scale (10,000-15,000 PE), the directive requires secondary treatment as a minimum, with more stringent requirements if the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas. The Extremadura region includes several sensitive zones, particularly along the Tagus River and its tributaries, where nutrient removal may be mandated. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local watercourse that flows into the Tiétar River, a major tributary of the Tagus River. The Tagus River ultimately reaches the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon, Portugal. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life and are used for irrigation and recreation downstream. The plant plays a key role in protecting the ecological health of the Tiétar-Tagus system by reducing organic load and potential nutrient pollution.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Tiétar River, which joins the Tagus River in Extremadura. The Tagus River flows westward across Spain and Portugal, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at the Tagus Estuary near Lisbon. This estuary is a vital wetland habitat supporting migratory birds and diverse fish species. The plant's operation helps maintain water quality in the Tiétar-Tagus system, which is used for agriculture, drinking water supply, and recreation. Nutrient loading from wastewater could contribute to eutrophication in downstream reservoirs and the estuary, making effective treatment essential.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Jaraíz de la Vera, a municipality in the province of Cáceres, in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. Its coordinates are approximately 40.061 N, -5.756 W.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 12,000, which corresponds to a medium-sized agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that flows into the Tiétar River, a tributary of the Tagus River. The Tagus River ultimately reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
The plant operates under Spain's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. Additional nutrient removal may be required if the receiving waters are in sensitive areas.
For agglomerations between 10,000 and 15,000 PE, the EU directive requires secondary treatment as a minimum. In Spain, many such plants also incorporate tertiary treatment or nutrient removal, especially if discharging into sensitive areas like the Tagus River basin.
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