LEDESMA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ledesma, Castilla y León, Spain

LEDESMA is a wastewater treatment plant located in Ledesma, a municipality in the province of Salamanca, Castilla y León, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,000 residents, reflecting its role in managing domestic wastewater for this small inland community. It is situated along the SA-302 road, within the rural landscape of western Spain. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 4,000 cubic meters per day and a current discharge volume of 258.99 cubic meters per day, the facility operates well within its capacity, ensuring effective treatment of the local wastewater load. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Duero River basin. The Duero River flows westward through Spain and Portugal, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Porto. The advanced treatment level helps protect the ecological quality of the receiving water bodies, supporting aquatic life and downstream water uses in this region of Castilla y León.

The plant discharges into the Duero River basin, which flows through the Meseta Central plateau and eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean. The Duero is a major Iberian river supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish species such as barbel and trout. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient and pollutant loads, helping to maintain water quality in the river and its downstream environments.