Less than 10% of wastewater generated across the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador is currently treated before being discharged into surrounding water bodies.
Veolia, through its Engineering & Consulting expertise, is supporting the Administración Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (ANDA) in the design of the future San Salvador East Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), a major infrastructure project for the country’s capital city.
The challenge is significant: more than 40 existing wastewater treatment plants are currently in operation, but they are small in size, geographically dispersed and often deliver insufficient treated effluent quality.
In the eastern districts of San Salvador, an ambitious solution is being developed: a new greenfield wastewater treatment facility for the Apopa and Aguilares catchments, connected to a 20 km interceptor and designed with a treatment capacity of 1.5 m³/s to serve a population of more than 500,000 inhabitants.
Over the coming year, Veolia experts will carry out the following key activities as part of the project:
- Topographical and geotechnical site investigations;
- Assessment of wastewater flows and quality, including projections related to future service coverage and effluent characteristics;
- Selection of wastewater and sludge treatment processes, as well as assessment of recovery potential for wastewater reuse (REUSE), sludge and biogas;
- Preliminary design and CAPEX/OPEX modelling;
- Preparation of tender documents for detailed design and construction works;
- Preliminary Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
A design approach based on circularity principles
The target design of the plant will integrate biogas recovery and the cogeneration of electricity and heat, enabling the future facility’s operations to be powered and potentially allowing surplus energy to be fed back into the national grid.
Beyond the development of new infrastructure, this project supports the implementation and acceleration of ANDA’s strategic vision for sustainable sanitation in San Salvador. It aims to reduce environmental pollution, protect rivers and lakes from untreated effluent discharges, and improve the living conditions of many people in San Salvador.