Valdemaqueda Wastewater Treatment Plant: Serving a Small Community in Comunidad de Madrid

The Valdemaqueda wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Valdemaqueda, within the Comunidad de Madrid, Spain. It serves a small population of 854 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or semi-rural setting. The plant is situated inland, far from coastal areas, and its operations are part of the regional water management infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 10,000. Secondary treatment typically involves biological oxidation and sedimentation to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The designed capacity of 4,000 m³/day indicates the plant is sized to handle peak flows and future growth. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse, which ultimately drains into the Tagus River basin, one of the major river systems in Spain. The Tagus River flows westward through central Spain and into Portugal, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The plant's operations help protect the local aquatic ecosystem and downstream water quality in the Tagus basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and agricultural uses.

The Valdemaqueda plant discharges into a local stream that is part of the Tagus River basin. The Tagus River is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, flowing over 1,000 km to the Atlantic Ocean. The downstream environment includes ecologically sensitive areas that support diverse aquatic species and provide water for irrigation and human consumption. Proper wastewater treatment is essential to prevent nutrient pollution and maintain the ecological health of the Tagus basin.