Introduction

The building of Parada's Waste Processing Plant is a remarkable cornstone in the life and activity of Maia's Serviços Municipalizados de Águas e Saneamento (Water and Sewage Municipal Department).

Actually, troughtout the last twelve years, particularly, from 1980 to 1992, we have carried through an important and relentless effort aiming at providing the municipal territory with the urban infrastructures able to support its extraordinary economic and social development as well as to ensure the necessary quality of life.

Thus, we have built our own sanitation network, more than 230 kms long, which covers 85% of the municipality dwellers.

Simultaneously, we have built two waste water processing plants the Cambados's ETAR, which is now being expanded, and the Parada's ETAR - each one supporting two river basins which are located within our municipal area: River Onda's basin and part of River Leça's basin.

Cambado's ETAR started operating in 1985 and, through its management, we have gained a significant experience in the field. Seven years later a new ETAR - Parada's ETAR - a rather large one, starts operating. Pursuing the effort we have been developing, we are building at Ponte de Moreira, our third and last important plant which shall provide the processing of the waste water network covering the remaining part of Leça basin and which is not channelled towards Parada.

The sanitation network we have nowadays is the outcome of all this effort. This is the widest network in the Northern Region as well as the best equipped in the country, thus levelling Maia, as far as this field is concerned, with the most advanced areas in the European Community.

We were able to set up the first waste water processing plant covering the nowadays called Porto's Urban Area - The Cambado's ETAR. We are now completing the second plant in the same area - Parada's ETAR. We have started building the third Porto's Urban Area plant - the ETAR in Ponte de Moreira.
This was an important, continuous and decisive collective effort. An effort in which the Municipality has invested a relevant part of its funds which can be translated, in today's figures, into ten million contos.

A collective effort which aims at meeting a major programmatic goal, a goal which is no doubt pursued by the Local Authorities, and which has been carried out in practice: "TO TURN MAIA A WORTHLIVING PLACE".

The particular field where all these actions are include in - basic sanitation - is a major part in that programmatic goal. "CLEANING LIFE" is still, and also in this context a challenge which is accepted with courage, resolution and love.

JOSÉ VIEIRA DE CARVALHO

 - Mayor of Maia
 - President of Maia's SMAS Board
 - M. P. elected by the Porto's voting circle
 - Vice-President of the Junta Metropolitana do Porto

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT

The Wastewater Treatment Plant of Parada was designed to treat the effluents of about 75% of Maia Municipality and part of S. Mamede de Infesta (Matosinhos Municipality).

The project, forseen to be constructed in two phases, was completed in 1986 and the construction of the first phase began in 1987.

During the construction (1989), the Municipality decided to include in the plant an installation of biogas recovery in order to produce electrical energy.
Starting-up took place in August 1991.

In 1992 took place the construction of a composting plant for the dewatered sludge in order to transform that sludge in a product with suitable agronomic properties.