Impianto C da Passo di Piedi Wastewater Treatment Plant, Baucina, Sicily

Impianto C da Passo di Piedi is a wastewater treatment facility located in Baucina, a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. The plant serves a small population of 1,036 residents and is situated near the coast, within 10 km of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 2,500 cubic meters per day, the facility operates well below its capacity, treating an average of 205.09 cubic meters daily. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which drains into the Tyrrhenian Sea. This coastal discharge point is in an ecologically sensitive area, as the Tyrrhenian Sea supports diverse marine life and is an important migratory corridor for species such as sea turtles and cetaceans.

The plant discharges into the Tyrrhenian Sea via local watercourses. The Tyrrhenian Sea is a semi-enclosed basin of the Mediterranean Sea, supporting diverse marine ecosystems including seagrass meadows and coralligenous habitats. The coastal area near Baucina is characterized by rocky shores and small sandy beaches, which are important for local biodiversity and tourism. Advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting the marine environment from eutrophication and other impacts.