Impianto C da Risata - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Michele di Ganzaria, Sicily

Impianto C da Risata is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Contrada Risata, San Michele di Ganzaria, in the province of Catania, Sicily, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 5,000 residents and has a designed capacity of 5,000 cubic meters per day, with a reported discharge volume of 989.82 cubic meters per day. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological oxidation and sedimentation to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea. The plant's location in inland Sicily, over 10 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact, but the receiving water bodies contribute to the overall health of the region's water resources and downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into the local drainage basin of Sicily, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The region's watershed supports diverse aquatic life and agricultural activities. Proper treatment is essential to prevent nutrient loading and protect downstream water quality in the Mediterranean, a semi-enclosed sea sensitive to eutrophication.