IDL_LA_BARCA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Villafranca in Lunigiana, Toscana

IDL_LA_BARCA is a wastewater treatment plant located in Villafranca in Lunigiana, within the Toscana region of Italy. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,376 and is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast. It operates under Italy's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU directive for inland freshwater discharges. With a designed capacity of 5,000 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 272.40 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The facility is part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure managed by local authorities. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually flows into the Magra River, which drains into the Ligurian Sea. This river system supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the region. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect water quality in the downstream environment.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Magra River, which flows through the Apuan Alps region and empties into the Ligurian Sea near La Spezia. The Magra River basin supports a variety of freshwater species and is a key habitat for migratory fish. The secondary treatment provided by the plant helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting the river's ecological health and the coastal waters of the Ligurian Sea.