TUEJAR Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tuéjar, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain

The TUEJAR wastewater treatment plant is located in Tuéjar, a municipality in the La Serranía comarca of Valencia, within the Comunitat Valenciana, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 8,042 residents and has a designed capacity of 4,500 cubic meters per day, with a discharge volume of 567.22 m³/day. As a secondary treatment facility, TUEJAR meets the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary biological treatment for agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 10,000. The plant's discharge volume and capacity indicate it operates well within its design limits, ensuring compliance with European standards for organic matter and suspended solids removal. The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Turia River basin. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting the Turia River and its downstream ecosystems, including coastal waters, from nutrient pollution and pathogens. By maintaining secondary treatment, TUEJAR helps preserve water quality for aquatic life and downstream users.

The TUEJAR plant discharges into the Turia River basin, which flows eastward through the Comunitat Valenciana and empties into the Mediterranean Sea near Valencia. The Turia River supports diverse aquatic habitats and is an important ecological corridor in the region. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic load and suspended solids, mitigating eutrophication risks in the river and coastal zone. Downstream, the Albufera de Valencia lagoon, a sensitive wetland ecosystem, benefits from controlled nutrient inputs.