Peraleda de la Mata Wastewater Treatment Plant, Extremadura, Spain

The Peraleda de la Mata wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Peraleda de la Mata, in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. It serves a population of approximately 4,700 residents, making it a small to medium agglomeration under EU classification. 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. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal to protect sensitive water bodies. The plant has a designed capacity of 4,700 cubic meters per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 851.86 cubic meters. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Tagus River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Tagus River flows westward through Spain and Portugal, discharging into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The advanced treatment helps protect downstream ecosystems and supports water quality in the Tagus basin.

The plant discharges into the Tagus River basin, which flows through central Spain and Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. The Tagus is a vital water resource for agriculture, urban supply, and biodiversity, supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory bird species. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading, protecting downstream water quality and ecological balance in the basin.