FONTE_PALANCA_ACQ_DEP Wastewater Treatment Plant, Acquaviva Picena, Marche, Italy

FONTE_PALANCA_ACQ_DEP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Acquaviva Picena, a town in the province of Ascoli Piceno, Marche region, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,446 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Italian and EU regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,200 cubic meters per day and a reported discharge volume of 159.12 cubic meters per day, indicating operational headroom. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Adriatic Sea. The Marche region's coastal waters support diverse marine life and are important for tourism and fisheries. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) underscores the need for effective treatment to protect the sensitive marine environment.

The plant discharges into the local drainage network that flows into the Adriatic Sea, a semi-enclosed basin with limited water exchange. The coastal waters of the Marche region support seagrass meadows and fish nurseries, making them ecologically sensitive to nutrient pollution. Secondary treatment helps reduce organic load and suspended solids, but advanced nutrient removal may be needed to prevent eutrophication in the Adriatic.