Overview
Vilagarcia de Arousa wastewater treatment plant serves Vilagarcía, Galicia, Spain, with a population equivalent of 41,996. The facility is located near the coast and discharges into the Ría de Arousa, an ecologically important estuary.
The Vilagarcia de Arousa wastewater treatment plant is a municipal facility serving the town of Vilagarcía in the province of Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. The plant handles wastewater from a population equivalent of approximately 42,000 people, placing it in the medium agglomeration category under European Union regulations. As part of Spain's wastewater infrastructure, the plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which sets standards for collection and treatment based on population size and receiving water sensitivity. The plant's designed capacity is reported as 1.00, though the unit is unspecified. Under the EU directive, agglomerations of this scale are generally required to provide secondary treatment, with more stringent requirements if the discharge enters a sensitive area. The facility's proximity to the coast suggests that nutrient removal may be necessary to protect the marine environment. The treated effluent is discharged into the Ría de Arousa, a coastal estuary that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Ría de Arousa is a productive ecosystem supporting shellfish fisheries and diverse marine life. The plant plays a key role in maintaining water quality in this sensitive coastal environment, helping to prevent eutrophication and protect aquatic habitats.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Ría de Arousa, a large estuary on the Atlantic coast of Galicia. This estuary is part of the Rías Baixas region, known for its high biological productivity and shellfish aquaculture. The receiving waters eventually flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The area supports important fisheries and is ecologically sensitive to nutrient inputs, making effective wastewater treatment critical for maintaining water quality and ecosystem health.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Vilagarcía, in the province of Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. It serves the municipality of Vilagarcía de Arousa and surrounding areas.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 41,996 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU wastewater treatment regulations.
The treated effluent is discharged into the Ría de Arousa, a coastal estuary that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The discharge point is within 50 km of the coast.
As a Spanish wastewater treatment plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). This directive requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size, with additional nutrient removal if the receiving waters are sensitive.
Under the EU directive, plants serving between 10,000 and 150,000 population equivalent are generally required to provide secondary treatment. In coastal areas like Galicia, tertiary treatment or nutrient removal may be required to protect sensitive estuarine and marine environments.
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