Overview
BARILE_ZONA_PIP is a secondary treatment plant in Barile, Basilicata, Italy, serving a small population of 30. It discharges 5.94 m³/day of treated wastewater into the local watershed.
BARILE_ZONA_PIP is a wastewater treatment plant located in Barile, a town in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. The plant serves a small population of 30 people, reflecting its role in a rural or peri-urban setting. It operates under Italy's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which sets standards for treatment based on agglomeration size and receiving water sensitivity. The plant provides secondary treatment, a biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 500 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 5.94 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating low utilization. The regulatory framework for such small plants in Italy typically requires secondary treatment unless the receiving water is designated as sensitive, in which case more advanced treatment may be needed. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Ionian Sea via the Basento or Bradano river systems. The Basilicata region is characterized by agricultural landscapes and the Pollino Massif, and the downstream environment supports diverse aquatic life. The plant's operation helps protect local streams from nutrient pollution and organic loading, contributing to the ecological health of the region's water bodies.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a local tributary that flows into the Basento or Bradano river, both of which drain into the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea. The watershed supports agricultural irrigation and provides habitat for fish and macroinvertebrates. Downstream, the coastal zone includes important nursery areas for marine species, making nutrient control from small plants like this one relevant for preventing eutrophication in the Ionian Sea.
Frequently asked questions
BARILE_ZONA_PIP is located in Barile, a town in the province of Potenza, Basilicata region, southern Italy.
The plant provides secondary treatment, which involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids from wastewater.
The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually flows into the Ionian Sea via the Basento or Bradano river systems.
As an Italian plant serving fewer than 2,000 people, it falls under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment (secondary or equivalent) for discharges into fresh water and estuaries.
For very small agglomerations (under 2,000 population equivalent), Italian regulations typically require secondary treatment or an equivalent system that achieves similar pollutant removal, often using small-scale biological processes like activated sludge or biofilters.
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