Overview
Acquappesa Sciabiche wastewater treatment plant serves 13,300 people in Acquappesa, Calabria, Italy. It is located near the Tyrrhenian Sea coast and operates under EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Acquappesa Sciabiche is a wastewater treatment plant serving the municipality of Acquappesa in the Calabria region of southern Italy. The plant is situated near the Terme Luigiane area, within the province of Cosenza, and handles wastewater for a population of approximately 13,300 residents. As a plant serving a medium-sized agglomeration (between 10,000 and 150,000 people), it falls under the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC. This directive mandates secondary treatment for such agglomerations discharging into coastal waters, with more stringent tertiary treatment if the receiving area is designated as sensitive. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day or similar units), indicating its scale. The plant's treated effluent ultimately discharges into the Tyrrhenian Sea, a major basin of the Mediterranean Sea. The coastal waters of Calabria support diverse marine life and are important for local tourism and fisheries. Proper treatment is essential to protect water quality and prevent eutrophication in this ecologically sensitive marine environment.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Tyrrhenian Sea, part of the Mediterranean Sea, which is a semi-enclosed basin with limited water exchange. The coastal zone near Acquappesa supports seagrass meadows and diverse marine fauna. Nutrient loading from untreated or inadequately treated wastewater could lead to algal blooms and degrade local water quality, impacting both ecosystems and tourism.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Acquappesa, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria region, southern Italy. Its address is Terme Luigiane, Acquappesa.
The plant serves a population of approximately 13,300 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under EU regulations.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the Tyrrhenian Sea, a coastal water body of the Mediterranean Sea. As it is within 50 km of the coast, the discharge is subject to EU standards for coastal waters.
The plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC, which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size discharging into coastal waters, and potentially tertiary treatment if the area is designated as sensitive.
In Italy, plants serving 10,000 to 150,000 people typically provide secondary biological treatment as a minimum, in line with the EU UWWTD. Many also incorporate nutrient removal to protect sensitive marine environments like the Tyrrhenian Sea.
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