Overview
Villarta de San Juan wastewater treatment plant in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, serves 4,424 people with advanced treatment. It discharges 566 m³/day of treated water, protecting local water resources.
The Villarta de San Juan wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Villarta de San Juan, in the province of Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. This facility serves a population of approximately 4,424 residents, making it a small-scale municipal plant typical of rural communities in the region. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment ensures high-quality effluent suitable for discharge into sensitive environments. The plant treats an average daily flow of 566 m³, reflecting the modest scale of the community it serves. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Guadiana River basin, a major hydrological system in central Spain. The Guadiana River flows westward into Portugal and reaches the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of Cádiz. The advanced treatment helps protect downstream ecosystems, including wetlands and agricultural areas that depend on good water quality.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Guadiana River basin, which flows through the arid plains of Castilla-La Mancha and supports irrigated agriculture and diverse aquatic habitats. Downstream, the river feeds the Tablas de Daimiel wetlands, an ecologically sensitive area that relies on consistent water quality. The advanced treatment level helps mitigate nutrient loading and protects this fragile ecosystem from eutrophication.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located at Camino de la chopera, Villarta de San Juan, in the province of Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.
The plant serves approximately 4,424 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU wastewater directives.
The plant uses advanced treatment processes, which provide higher levels of pollutant removal than secondary treatment, ensuring compliance with stringent environmental standards.
The plant discharges into the Guadiana River basin, which flows through central Spain and Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. Its advanced treatment helps safeguard the Guadiana and associated wetlands like Tablas de Daimiel.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), small agglomerations (under 10,000 population equivalent) require appropriate treatment. The plant's advanced treatment exceeds the minimum secondary treatment standard, reflecting local environmental sensitivity.
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