CDA_MISERICORDIA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Valderice, Sicily

CDA_MISERICORDIA is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Valderice, a town in the province of Trapani on the island of Sicily, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,500 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations. Its location near the Mediterranean coast places it in a sensitive coastal environment. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for discharges into coastal waters. The designed capacity of 7,000 cubic meters per day indicates the plant is sized to handle peak flows, with current discharge volumes well below that threshold. As an Italian facility, it operates under the national implementation of the directive, overseen by regional environmental authorities in Sicily. The treated effluent is discharged into the Mediterranean Sea, likely via a local watercourse or outfall. The coastal waters of western Sicily support diverse marine ecosystems, including seagrass meadows and fisheries. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollution and protect these sensitive marine habitats from eutrophication and other impacts.

The plant discharges into the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of western Sicily, a region characterized by rocky shores and sandy beaches. The receiving waters ultimately flow into the Tyrrhenian Sea, part of the larger Mediterranean basin. This coastal area supports important marine habitats, including Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, which are vital for biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Secondary treatment helps mitigate nutrient loading and protects these ecologically sensitive waters from excessive algal growth and oxygen depletion.