MIRAFLORES Wastewater Treatment Plant, Miraflores de la Sierra, Spain

MIRAFLORES is a wastewater treatment plant located in Miraflores de la Sierra, a municipality in the Comunidad de Madrid, Spain. The plant serves a population of around 3,579 residents, reflecting its role in managing domestic wastewater for this small community in the Sierra de Guadarrama foothills. As a Spanish treatment facility, MIRAFLORES operates under the national transposition of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For agglomerations with a population equivalent under 10,000, the directive requires appropriate treatment, typically secondary treatment, to protect receiving waters. It is expected to meet these regulatory standards. The treated effluent from MIRAFLORES is discharged into the local hydrological network, which ultimately drains into the Jarama River basin, a tributary of the Tagus River. The Tagus flows westward through Spain and into Portugal, discharging into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The plant's operations help protect the water quality of these downstream water bodies and support the ecological health of the region.

MIRAFLORES discharges into the local streams that feed the Jarama River, a major tributary of the Tagus River. The Tagus basin is the largest in the Iberian Peninsula, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and providing water for agriculture, industry, and human consumption. Downstream, the Tagus flows into the Atlantic Ocean, where its estuary is an important habitat for migratory birds and fish species. The plant's treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, safeguarding these ecological values.