SAN JOSE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands

The SAN JOSE wastewater treatment plant is located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. It served a small population of 1,365 people and is now closed. The plant provided secondary treatment, which is a standard biological treatment process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. As a closed facility, the plant no longer operates. However, during its operation, it would have been subject to Spanish national regulations implementing the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For small agglomerations under 2,000 population equivalent, the directive requires appropriate treatment, which secondary treatment meets. The plant's designed capacity was 2,917 m³/day, indicating it was built to handle a larger load than the actual population served. The plant discharged treated wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean, as it is located within 10 km of the coast. The Canary Islands are a biodiversity hotspot, and coastal discharges can affect marine ecosystems, including seagrass meadows and coral reefs. The plant's closure may have led to wastewater being redirected to other facilities or alternative treatment solutions.

The SAN JOSE plant discharged into the Atlantic Ocean near Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Canary Islands' coastal waters support diverse marine life, including cetaceans and sea turtles. The discharge point is in a semi-arid region with limited freshwater resources, making proper wastewater treatment crucial for protecting coastal water quality and marine habitats.