CAGNANO_AMITERNO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cagnano Amiterno, Italy

CAGNANO_AMITERNO is a wastewater treatment plant located in Corroccioni, Cagnano Amiterno, in the province of L'Aquila, Italy. Serving a population of approximately 2,213, the plant is part of the municipal infrastructure for this inland town in the Apennine mountains. The plant operates under Italy's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant has a designed capacity of 4,200 cubic meters per day and currently treats a discharge volume of 438.10 cubic meters per day, indicating significant spare capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant's performance is regulated under Italian national law, which transposes EU standards for wastewater treatment. Treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Tyrrhenian Sea via the Aterno River system. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the Aterno River and its downstream ecosystems, which support diverse aquatic life in the Apennine region. Its inland location reduces direct marine impact, but proper treatment is essential for maintaining the ecological health of the river basin.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Aterno River, which flows through the Apennine mountains and eventually reaches the Tyrrhenian Sea near Pescara. The watershed supports diverse aquatic habitats, including fish populations and riparian vegetation. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollution, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive mountainous region.