VILLANUEVA DE ALCARDETE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Villanueva de Alcardete, Castilla-La Mancha

The VILLANUEVA DE ALCARDETE wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Villanueva de Alcardete, in the province of Toledo, within the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 8,731 residents, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under Spanish and EU regulations. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for inland freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, ensuring compliance with discharge standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Tagus River basin, one of the most important river systems in the Iberian Peninsula. The Tagus River flows westward through Spain and Portugal, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The plant's operations help protect the ecological health of the Tagus basin and downstream environments.

The plant discharges into the Tagus River basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and urban use. The Tagus River flows through central Spain and Portugal, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Protecting water quality in this basin is critical for maintaining biodiversity and supporting downstream ecosystems, including estuarine habitats near the river mouth.