DP01701901_BIONE Wastewater Treatment Plant, San Faustino, Lombardy

DP01701901_BIONE is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in San Faustino, a frazione of Bione in the Valle Sabbia, Brescia province, Lombardy, Italy. The plant serves a small population of 48 people, reflecting its role in a rural mountainous area. With a designed capacity of 50 m³/day and a discharge volume of 9.5 m³/day, it operates well below its capacity. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. As an Italian facility, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires appropriate treatment for discharges into sensitive areas. For small agglomerations like this, advanced treatment ensures compliance with stringent environmental standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Chiese River, a tributary of the Oglio River, which flows into the Po River and ultimately the Adriatic Sea. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the sensitive alpine and pre-alpine ecosystems of the Valle Sabbia, supporting biodiversity and water quality in the Po basin.

The plant discharges into the local stream network that feeds the Chiese River, a tributary of the Oglio River in the Po River basin. The Po River flows into the Adriatic Sea, making this plant part of a large transboundary watershed. The surrounding area is characterized by karstic geology and sensitive aquatic habitats that benefit from advanced treatment to prevent eutrophication and protect downstream ecosystems.