CASALE D'ASCHI Wastewater Treatment Plant, Gioia dei Marsi, Italy

CASALE D'ASCHI is a wastewater treatment plant located along Strada Statale 83 Marsicana in Gioia dei Marsi, in the L'Aquila province of Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,620 people, placing it in the small agglomeration category under Italian and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size discharging into freshwater. The designed capacity is 3,000 m³/day, and the reported discharge volume is 716.63 m³/day, indicating operational headroom. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Liri River basin and then to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the water quality of the surrounding mountainous region, which is part of the Apennine range and supports diverse aquatic life.

The plant discharges into the Liri River basin, which flows through central Italy and eventually reaches the Tyrrhenian Sea near the Gulf of Gaeta. The watershed includes the Fucino Plain and the Marsica region, an area with sensitive karst aquifers and important groundwater resources. The receiving waters support aquatic ecosystems and are used for irrigation and recreation downstream.