DEP_SANTA_GIUSTINA Wastewater Treatment Plant, San Giovanni Battista, Liguria

DEP_SANTA_GIUSTINA is a secondary wastewater treatment plant located in the hamlet of Rovieto Superiore, within the municipality of Stella, near San Giovanni Battista in the Liguria region of Italy. The plant serves a small population of 360 people and has a designed capacity of 500 cubic meters per day, with a current discharge volume of 71.27 cubic meters per day, indicating low utilization relative to its capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, the plant provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations under 2,000 population equivalent. The directive mandates secondary treatment for all discharges from such small communities, ensuring compliance with European environmental standards. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains to the Ligurian Sea, part of the Mediterranean Sea. The coastal environment is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse marine life and serving as an important area for tourism and fisheries. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) underscores the need for effective treatment to protect coastal water quality.

The treated effluent from DEP_SANTA_GIUSTINA enters local streams that flow toward the Ligurian Sea, a basin of the Mediterranean Sea. This coastal area supports diverse marine ecosystems, including seagrass meadows and fish nurseries, and is subject to nutrient-sensitive conditions. Effective secondary treatment helps minimize eutrophication risks and protects the ecological balance of the coastal waters.