Overview
Santiago de la Espada wastewater treatment plant serves 2,542 people in Santiago-Pontones, Andalucía, Spain. It provides primary treatment and discharges 460.73 m³/day into local waterways.
The Santiago de la Espada wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Santiago-Pontones, within the province of Jaén in Andalucía, Spain. It serves a small population of 2,542 residents, reflecting its role in a rural, mountainous area of the Sierra de Segura. The plant is situated along the Carretera A-317, providing essential sanitation infrastructure for this remote community. Operating with primary treatment, the plant processes an average daily flow of 460.73 m³ against a designed capacity of 3,000 m³, indicating ample reserve capacity. Under Spanish and EU regulations, small agglomerations like this are subject to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment before discharge into sensitive areas. The plant's primary treatment meets the minimum standards for inland communities not designated as sensitive. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that feed into the Guadalquivir River basin, ultimately reaching the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Cádiz. The surrounding Sierra de Segura is an ecologically important area, supporting diverse aquatic life and serving as a corridor for migratory species. The plant's operation helps protect downstream water quality in this sensitive Mediterranean watershed.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into small tributaries of the Guadalquivir River basin, which flows through Andalucía to the Atlantic Ocean. The Sierra de Segura region features karst landscapes and supports endemic fish species and diverse macroinvertebrate communities. Protecting water quality here is vital for maintaining the ecological integrity of the Guadalquivir's headwaters and the downstream Doñana wetland ecosystem.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located on Carretera A-317 in Santiago de la Espada, a village within the municipality of Santiago-Pontones, in the province of Jaén, Andalucía, Spain.
The plant serves a population of 2,542 people, making it a small-scale facility for a rural community in the Sierra de Segura.
The plant provides primary treatment, which involves physical processes like sedimentation to remove solids. This level of treatment is typical for small inland communities under EU regulations.
The plant discharges into local streams that are part of the Guadalquivir River basin. By treating wastewater, it helps protect the water quality of the Guadalquivir and its downstream ecosystems, including the Doñana wetlands.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), small agglomerations like Santiago-Pontones (under 10,000 population equivalent) require appropriate treatment. Primary treatment meets the directive's minimum standards for inland areas not designated as sensitive.
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