ALESSANDRIA_FRAZ_LOBBI Wastewater Treatment Plant, Alessandria, Italy

ALESSANDRIA_FRAZ_LOBBI is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the Lobbi district of Alessandria, in the Piemonte region of northern Italy. The plant serves a population equivalent of approximately 4,800, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). It is situated inland, away from coastal areas, and its operations are part of the regional water management infrastructure managed by local authorities. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU UWWTD for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 4,800 m³/day and currently treats an average daily flow of 977 m³, indicating it operates well below its capacity. As an Italian facility, it falls under national regulations that transpose the EU directive, with oversight from regional environmental agencies. The treated effluent is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately drains into the Po River basin, the largest river system in Italy. The Po River flows eastward to the Adriatic Sea, supporting diverse aquatic life and agricultural activities along its course. The plant's discharge contributes to the overall water quality management of the Po basin, which is ecologically significant for the region's biodiversity and water resources.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Po River, Italy's longest river, which flows into the Adriatic Sea. The Po basin supports a rich ecosystem, including migratory fish species and extensive wetlands. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality, reducing organic pollution and nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in the Adriatic coastal zone.