Overview
Santa Amalia wastewater treatment plant serves the town of Santa Amalia in Extremadura, Spain. It treats wastewater from approximately 8,600 residents, supporting local water quality in the Guadiana River basin.
The Santa Amalia wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Santa Amalia, in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. The facility serves a population of approximately 8,600 people, making it a medium-sized agglomeration under Spanish and EU classifications. As a plant in Spain, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant discharges treated effluent into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Guadiana River basin. The Guadiana River flows southwest through Extremadura and into the Gulf of Cádiz (Atlantic Ocean), supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and agricultural irrigation along its course.
Environmental context
The plant's treated effluent enters the Guadiana River basin, a major Iberian watershed that flows through Extremadura and into the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Cádiz. The Guadiana supports a variety of aquatic life, including endemic fish species, and its estuarine zone is an important migratory corridor for birds. The region's Mediterranean climate with dry summers means that maintaining water quality in the river is critical for both ecological health and human uses such as irrigation.
Frequently asked questions
The Santa Amalia wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Santa Amalia, in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. Its address is Calle Guardia Civil, Santa Amalia, Badajoz, Extremadura, 06410.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the local watershed, which flows into the Guadiana River basin. The Guadiana River ultimately reaches the Gulf of Cádiz in the Atlantic Ocean.
The plant helps protect the Guadiana River and its tributaries by treating wastewater before discharge, reducing pollution in the river basin that supports agriculture and ecosystems in Extremadura.
The plant serves a population of 8,600, which classifies it as a medium agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC. The directive requires secondary treatment for such agglomerations, with potential for more stringent treatment if the receiving water is a sensitive area.
In Spain, wastewater treatment plants serving populations of this scale typically provide secondary treatment as a minimum, in line with EU directives. Many also incorporate nutrient removal if discharging into sensitive areas like the Guadiana basin.
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