Impianto Contrada Marchesana - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Mauro Castelverde, Sicily

Impianto Contrada Marchesana is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in San Mauro Castelverde, a town in the province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,000 residents and has a designed capacity of 4,000 cubic meters per day, indicating it is sized to accommodate future growth or seasonal variations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. This directive mandates secondary treatment for all discharges from such communities to protect receiving water quality. The plant's current discharge volume is about 396 m³/day, well below its design capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) means its discharge can affect coastal water quality. The surrounding area is characterized by Mediterranean climate and hilly terrain, with agriculture and tourism as key economic activities.

The plant discharges into a small watercourse that flows through the Madonie mountains and eventually reaches the Tyrrhenian Sea near the northern coast of Sicily. This coastal area supports diverse marine life and is important for local fisheries and tourism. The secondary treatment process reduces organic load and suspended solids, helping to protect the sensitive coastal ecosystem from nutrient enrichment and pathogen contamination.