IMPIANTO C DA ACQUA DELLA SIGNORA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Valledolmo, Sicily

IMPIANTO C DA ACQUA DELLA SIGNORA is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Valledolmo, a town in the province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,700 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Italian and EU regulations. It operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard requirement under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for inland freshwater discharges from settlements of this size. As a secondary treatment facility, the plant employs biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the effluent quality standards set by Italian regulations (D.Lgs. 152/2006). The plant has a designed capacity of 5,530 m³/day and currently handles an average daily flow of about 935 m³, indicating substantial spare capacity for future growth or seasonal variations. The facility is operated as part of the regional wastewater infrastructure managed by local authorities. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the southern Tyrrhenian Sea basin. Sicily's Mediterranean climate, with hot dry summers and mild wet winters, can stress water resources, making effective wastewater treatment crucial for protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and supporting agricultural reuse where applicable.

The plant discharges into the inland watershed of central Sicily, which feeds into the Imera Settentrionale river system and eventually reaches the Tyrrhenian Sea. This coastal region supports diverse marine life and is important for local fisheries and tourism. Secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in downstream coastal waters, protecting seagrass meadows and other sensitive habitats.