DP01610101_FONTANELLA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Fontanella, Lombardia

DP01610101_FONTANELLA is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Fontanella, a town in the province of Bergamo, Lombardia, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,720 residents and has a designed capacity of 5,000 m³/day, with a current discharge volume of 934.39 m³/day. It operates under Italy's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates advanced treatment for sensitive areas and agglomerations of this scale. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, ensuring high-quality effluent that meets stringent regulatory standards. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) and tertiary filtration, which is common for plants in the Po River basin region to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Po River, Italy's longest river, which flows into the Adriatic Sea. The plant plays a crucial role in safeguarding the ecological health of the Po basin, a densely populated and agriculturally intensive area. By reducing nutrient loads, it helps prevent eutrophication in the Adriatic Sea and supports biodiversity in the river's delta and coastal wetlands.

The plant discharges into the Po River basin, which flows eastward across northern Italy and empties into the Adriatic Sea. The Po delta is an ecologically sensitive area supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory bird populations. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient pollution, mitigating eutrophication risks in the Adriatic and preserving the ecological balance of the river's floodplain and coastal lagoons.