OROPESA TORREBELLVER Wastewater Treatment Plant, Oropesa del Mar, Spain

OROPESA TORREBELLVER is a wastewater treatment plant located in Oropesa del Mar, a coastal town in the province of Castellón, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain. The facility was designed to serve the local population and tourist areas, with a designed capacity of 3,837 cubic meters per day. It is currently closed, and its operational status reflects changes in regional wastewater management. The plant was classified as providing advanced treatment, which goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), advanced treatment is required for discharges into sensitive areas, such as coastal zones with high ecological value. The plant's coastal location within 10 km of the Mediterranean Sea underscores the importance of stringent treatment to protect marine water quality. The treated effluent from this facility would have discharged into the Mediterranean Sea, which is the ultimate receiving water body for the region. The coastal waters near Oropesa del Mar support diverse marine life and are important for tourism and recreation. More efficient facilities in the area, which is common in regions with seasonal population fluctuations.

The plant is situated in the coastal municipality of Oropesa del Mar, within the Comunitat Valenciana, and its treated effluent would have discharged into the Mediterranean Sea. This coastal area is part of a dynamic marine ecosystem that supports seagrass meadows and fish nurseries, and is subject to pressures from urban development and tourism. The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin with limited water exchange, making it sensitive to nutrient inputs that can cause eutrophication. Advanced treatment at this plant would have helped mitigate such impacts by reducing nitrogen and phosphorus loads.