Overview
Africo Artusa is a secondary wastewater treatment plant serving Antonimina, Calabria, Italy. It discharges treated effluent near the Ionian Sea coast, with a designed capacity of 2,000 cubic meters per day.
Africo Artusa is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Antonimina, a town in the province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,200 people and is situated near the Ionian Sea coast, reflecting the region's coastal geography. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 2,000 cubic meters per day and a reported discharge volume of 634 cubic meters per day, the facility operates well within its capacity. The plant is part of Italy's national wastewater infrastructure, regulated under the directive's requirements for sensitive areas and coastal discharges. The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Ionian Sea. This coastal discharge is subject to EU standards for nutrient removal and environmental protection, particularly given the ecological sensitivity of the Mediterranean coastal zone. The plant plays a key role in protecting the local marine environment and supporting the region's water quality.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Ionian Sea, a major Mediterranean basin that supports diverse marine life and important fisheries. The coastal waters near Antonimina are part of a sensitive marine ecosystem, where nutrient inputs from wastewater can affect water quality and biodiversity. The EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive requires appropriate treatment for discharges into such sensitive coastal areas to prevent eutrophication and protect aquatic habitats.
Frequently asked questions
The Africo Artusa plant is located in Antonimina, a town in the province of Reggio Calabria, in the Calabria region of southern Italy.
The plant serves approximately 3,200 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the local water system, which ultimately flows into the Ionian Sea, a coastal marine environment.
The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for agglomerations of this size discharging into coastal waters.
The plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), transposed into Italian law. For small agglomerations like this, secondary treatment is standard, with additional nutrient removal required if the discharge is into sensitive areas.
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