Impianto C da Favara Wastewater Treatment Plant, Pietraperzia, Sicily

Impianto C da Favara is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Pietraperzia, a town in the province of Enna, Sicily, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,500 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under Italian and EU regulations. It is situated inland, more than 10 kilometers from the coast, and operates within the Sicilian regional water management framework. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for inland freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. The designed capacity is 4,000 cubic meters per day, and the reported discharge volume is 692.88 cubic meters per day, indicating a utilization rate well below capacity. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes such as activated sludge or trickling filters. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Mediterranean Sea, likely via the Salso River or a tributary of the Imera Meridionale. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality and downstream ecosystems, including the coastal waters of southern Sicily. Its operation is subject to Italian national regulations implementing the EU directive, ensuring compliance with discharge standards for organic matter and suspended solids.

The plant discharges into a receiving water body that flows into the Salso River basin, which ultimately reaches the Mediterranean Sea near the southern coast of Sicily. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a semi-arid climate zone where water resources are limited. The secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollution, protecting downstream habitats and coastal water quality from eutrophication risks.