IDL_BARAGAGLIA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Calci, Toscana, Italy

IDL_BARAGAGLIA is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Calci, within the province of Pisa in Toscana, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,848 people and has a designed capacity of 5,000 m³/day, with an actual discharge volume of 959.73 m³/day. It is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast, but within 50 km of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), Italy requires advanced (tertiary) treatment for agglomerations over 10,000 population equivalent in sensitive areas. Although this plant serves fewer than 10,000 people, its advanced treatment level indicates a high standard of effluent quality, likely to protect sensitive receiving waters. The treated effluent from IDL_BARAGAGLIA is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Tyrrhenian Sea via the Arno River basin. The region's water bodies support diverse aquatic life and are important for both ecological balance and human use. The plant's advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient loading and protects downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Arno River, which empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Pisa. The Arno basin supports diverse aquatic habitats and is ecologically sensitive due to agricultural runoff and urban pressures. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient pollution, safeguarding downstream water quality and marine ecosystems.