EFFICIENCY OF REMOVAL IN STABILIZATION PONDS .1. INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE

Owing to the existing or predictable water deficiencies in the South o f Portugal, it is necessary to carry out the appropriate management of water resources, by reducing and/or minimizing the negative impacts o f untreated/treated domestic effluents in the aquatic environment As P ortugal has a great diversity of ecoclimatic areas, five different sta bilization pond systems were chosen to carry out a control study durin g one year (from March 1991 to March 1992). According to Pina Manique & Albuquerque the ecological classification of these stations is diffe rent, varying from Ibero-mediterranean (continental) up to mediterrane an (maritime). The physical and chemical parameters studied were: temp erature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, BOD, GOD, nitrates, nitri tes, ammonia and total nitrogen, total suspended and volatile solids, total phosphorus and orthophosphates. The microbiological parameters s tudied were: total and faecal coliforms, faecal Streptococci, Clostrid ium perfringens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The correlations between c limatic parameters and the efficiency of the removal of organic matter were analysed.