Torrecaballeros Wastewater Treatment Plant, La Higuera, Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain

The Torrecaballeros wastewater treatment plant is located in La Higuera, a locality within the municipality of Torrecaballeros in the province of Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,179 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Spanish and EU regulations. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters. The plant has a designed capacity of 3,179 m³/day and currently discharges 541.51 m³/day of treated effluent. The treated wastewater is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Duero River basin. The Duero River flows westward through Spain and Portugal, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Porto. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the ecological quality of the Duero basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and is used for irrigation and drinking water supply downstream.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Duero River basin, which drains into the Atlantic Ocean. The Duero basin is an ecologically sensitive area supporting diverse aquatic habitats and migratory fish species. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient loading, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream reservoirs and the river's estuary.