CAVOUR_FRAZ_VILLAFRANCA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cavour, Piemonte, Italy

CAVOUR_FRAZ_VILLAFRANCA is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Cavour, a town in the Piemonte region of northwestern Italy. The facility serves a population of approximately 4,313 residents and is situated in the Po River basin, which drains much of northern Italy. The plant is part of Italy's wastewater infrastructure, which is regulated under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU directive for agglomerations of this size (between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent). Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 3,750 m³/day and currently discharges 483 m³/day of treated wastewater, indicating it operates well below its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately flows into the Po River, one of Italy's most important rivers. The Po River basin supports extensive agriculture and diverse aquatic ecosystems. The plant's location inland, away from the coast, reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the Po River system, which is ecologically sensitive and subject to nutrient management regulations.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Po River, which flows eastward through the Po Valley and into the Adriatic Sea. The Po River basin is a major agricultural and industrial region, and its waters support diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as sturgeon and eel. The basin is also a critical migratory corridor for birds. Nutrient loading from wastewater can contribute to eutrophication in the Adriatic, so secondary treatment helps mitigate this risk.