Conselice Lavezzola Wastewater Treatment Plant, Conselice, Emilia-Romagna

The Conselice Lavezzola wastewater treatment plant is located in Conselice, a town in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,866 people and is part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure managed by the local authority. It operates under Italy's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which sets standards for collection and treatment in agglomerations of this scale. The plant provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond the EU's minimum requirement of secondary treatment for inland freshwater discharges. This level of treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive water bodies. The plant has a designed capacity of 5,000 cubic meters per day and currently treats an average daily volume of about 988 cubic meters, indicating ample reserve capacity for future growth. Treated effluent from the plant is discharged into local waterways that eventually flow into the Po River, Italy's longest river, which drains into the Adriatic Sea. The Po basin is ecologically significant, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing water for agriculture and industry. The plant's advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, contributing to the health of the Po River and the northern Adriatic coastal ecosystem.

The plant discharges into the local drainage network that feeds into the Po River, which flows eastward through the Po Valley to the Adriatic Sea. The Po basin is a major agricultural and industrial region, and its waters are subject to eutrophication risks from nutrient pollution. The advanced treatment at Conselice Lavezzola helps mitigate these risks by removing nitrogen and phosphorus, protecting downstream aquatic habitats and the sensitive coastal lagoon ecosystems of the Po Delta.