Spain

Berria Underwater Sewage Outlet General drainage for Santoña marshes

Honored with the European Environmental Prize, Spanish section 2009-2010, awarded by the Ministry of the Environment Entorno Foundation, the Berria underwater sewage outlet falls within the Santoña Marshes General Drainage Plan, on the request of the Cantabrian Hydrographic Confederation.

The project involves construction of two sewage outlets: one main outlet and an emergency outlet. The main outlet is made up of several sections: a 505 m driven section down to -10.37; another that runs along the seabed down to -35.00, 3,020 m long and a last one with 20 waste outlet diffusers.

The emergency sewage outlet runs parallel to the main one along its entire pipe jacking section, ending in a 45º bend with a valve.

Benefits for the community

The Santoña Marshes are one of the most important ecosystems in Spain, in a unique area of the Cantabrian coast, whose estuary is home to wide-ranging environmental diversity.

The population growth in this zone and increase in the many activities in the surrounding area affects the natural environment and its inhabitants. When faced with the challenge of conserving the area’s ecological value while at the same time encouraging development of industrial, recreational and urban activities, the Santoña Marsh general drainage plan works have been performed, with the sewage outlet as a keystone.

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