PUEBLA DE OBANDO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Puebla de Obando, Extremadura, Spain

PUEBLA DE OBANDO is a wastewater treatment plant located in the town of Puebla de Obando, within the province of Badajoz in the Extremadura region of Spain. The facility serves a population of approximately 4,200 residents, making it a small-scale municipal treatment plant typical of rural communities in inland Spain. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. With a designed capacity of 3,500 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 761.24 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating sufficient headroom for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Guadiana River basin. The Guadiana River flows westward through Extremadura and forms part of the border between Spain and Portugal before emptying into the Gulf of Cádiz (Atlantic Ocean). The plant's operations help protect the ecological health of the Guadiana basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and agricultural activities in the region.

The plant discharges into the Guadiana River basin, one of the major river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Guadiana flows through Extremadura and into Portugal, eventually reaching the Gulf of Cádiz. The watershed supports irrigated agriculture, wetlands, and habitats for migratory birds. Secondary treatment ensures that organic pollutants and suspended solids are reduced, protecting downstream water quality and aquatic ecosystems.