Overview
Villanueva de la Cañada wastewater treatment plant serves the municipality in the Comunidad de Madrid, Spain, with a population equivalent of 15,127. It operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The Villanueva de la Cañada wastewater treatment plant is located in the Comunidad de Madrid, serving the municipality of Villanueva de la Cañada. The plant handles wastewater from a population equivalent of 15,127, placing it in the medium agglomeration category under EU regulations. As a Spanish facility, the plant is subject to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The directive also mandates more advanced treatment if the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas. The plant's treatment processes are designed to meet these regulatory standards, ensuring compliance with national and European water quality objectives. The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Tagus River basin. The Tagus River is one of the Iberian Peninsula's major rivers, flowing through Spain and Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting the ecological health of the Tagus basin by reducing nutrient and pollutant loads from urban wastewater.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Tagus River basin, which flows westward through central Spain and Portugal before reaching the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. The Tagus supports diverse aquatic life and is an important water resource for agriculture and urban supply. The plant's operations help mitigate eutrophication risks in downstream reservoirs and estuaries, contributing to the ecological balance of the basin.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Villanueva de la Cañada, in the Comunidad de Madrid, Spain, at Avenida de la Universidad, Sexmo de Casarrubios.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 15,127, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which flows into the Tagus River basin, ultimately reaching the Atlantic Ocean.
The plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size and may require tertiary treatment if the receiving waters are sensitive.
In Spain, plants serving this population typically provide secondary biological treatment, such as activated sludge, to meet EU standards. Some may include nutrient removal if discharging into sensitive areas.
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