YATOVA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Yátova, Comunitat Valenciana

YATOVA is a wastewater treatment plant located in Yátova, a municipality in the La Hoya de Buñol comarca of Valencia province, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain. The plant serves a population of approximately 5,292 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU UWWTD for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The facility operates under Spain's national water regulations, which transpose the EU directive into law. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Júcar River basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality and supporting the ecological health of the region's rivers and coastal waters.

The plant discharges into the Júcar River basin, which flows eastward through Comunitat Valenciana and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The Júcar River supports diverse aquatic life and is used for irrigation and recreation. Downstream, the Albufera de Valencia lagoon is an ecologically sensitive coastal wetland that benefits from reduced nutrient loads from upstream treatment plants. The plant's secondary treatment helps mitigate eutrophication risks in these downstream water bodies.