Overview
ORIHUELA COSTA wastewater treatment plant serves Orihuela, Spain, with a population equivalent of 99,966. Located in Comunitat Valenciana, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
ORIHUELA COSTA is a wastewater treatment plant located in Orihuela, in the Comunitat Valenciana region of Spain. It serves a population equivalent of approximately 100,000 people, classifying it as a large agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is situated in the coastal area of the Costa Blanca, near the urbanizations of Cabo Roig. As a facility serving a large agglomeration, ORIHUELA COSTA is expected to meet the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment as a minimum and tertiary treatment in sensitive areas. The plant's designed capacity is 1. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the local environment, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea. The region's coastal waters support diverse marine life and are important for tourism and recreation. Proper treatment is essential to protect water quality and prevent eutrophication in this sensitive coastal ecosystem.
Environmental context
ORIHUELA COSTA discharges into the Mediterranean Sea via local watercourses in the Vega Baja del Segura region. The coastal waters here support seagrass meadows and fish nurseries, making nutrient removal critical to prevent algal blooms. The plant's location within 50 km of the coast underscores its role in protecting marine water quality.
Frequently asked questions
ORIHUELA COSTA is located in Orihuela, in the Comunitat Valenciana region of Spain, specifically in the urbanizations of Lomas de Cabo Roig and Sectores La Cuerda, near the Costa Blanca coastline.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 99,966 people, classifying it as a large agglomeration under EU wastewater treatment regulations.
Treated wastewater from ORIHUELA COSTA is discharged into local watercourses that flow into the Mediterranean Sea, supporting the coastal ecosystem of the Vega Baja del Segura region.
As a Spanish plant serving over 10,000 people, ORIHUELA COSTA operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment and, in sensitive coastal areas, tertiary treatment to reduce nutrients.
For agglomerations of this size in Spain, treatment typically includes primary sedimentation, biological secondary treatment (activated sludge or similar), and often tertiary processes like disinfection or nutrient removal to meet EU standards for coastal discharge.
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