AIRASCA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Airasca, Piemonte, Italy

The AIRASCA wastewater treatment plant is located in Airasca, a town in the Piemonte region of northern Italy. It serves a population of about 4,530 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). The plant is situated along Strada Provinciale 139 di Villafranca, within the province of Torino. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum required by the EU directive for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. It has a designed capacity of 1,500 cubic meters per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 916 cubic meters, operating below its full capacity. As an Italian facility, it operates under the national implementation of the EU directive, overseen by regional environmental authorities. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Po River basin, one of Italy's most significant watersheds. The Po River flows eastward across northern Italy into the Adriatic Sea, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and agricultural irrigation. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect these downstream environments from organic pollution.

The AIRASCA plant discharges into small tributaries of the Po River basin, which ultimately drains into the Adriatic Sea. The Po River is the longest river in Italy and supports a rich ecosystem, including migratory fish species and extensive wetlands in its delta. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic load and suspended solids, helping to maintain water quality in this agriculturally and ecologically important region.