Crevalcore Wastewater Treatment Plant: Serving Crevalcore, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

The Crevalcore wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Crevalcore, within the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It serves a population of about 9,691 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is situated on Via Bisentolo Sud, in the Unione Terre d'Acqua area of Bologna province. As a plant serving fewer than 10,000 people, Crevalcore falls under the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates appropriate treatment based on the sensitivity of the receiving waters. The directive requires secondary treatment for inland freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size, unless the receiving waters are designated as sensitive areas, which would necessitate tertiary treatment. The treated effluent from Crevalcore is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Po River basin, one of Italy's most significant river systems. The Po River flows eastward across the Po Valley and empties into the Adriatic Sea. The surrounding area is predominantly agricultural, and the plant plays a key role in protecting local waterways from nutrient pollution and maintaining water quality in the broader Po watershed.

Crevalcore lies in the Po Valley, a densely populated and agriculturally intensive region. The plant's discharge enters local canals and streams that feed into the Po River, which flows into the Adriatic Sea. The Po basin supports diverse aquatic life and is ecologically sensitive due to nutrient loading from agriculture and urban runoff. Proper wastewater treatment is essential to prevent eutrophication and protect downstream habitats, including the Po Delta wetlands.