Overview
Impianto S. Nicola l'Arena Scalo Marittimo is a secondary wastewater treatment plant serving 5,000 people in Trabia, Sicily, Italy. It discharges treated effluent near the Tyrrhenian Sea coast.
Impianto S. Nicola l'Arena Scalo Marittimo is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in San Nicola l'Arena, a frazione of Trabia in the province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 5,000 residents and is situated along the northern coast of Sicily, close to the Tyrrhenian Sea. 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 with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. The plant has a designed capacity of 5,000 cubic meters per day and reports a discharge volume of about 990 cubic meters per day, indicating it operates well below its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into the coastal waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, a major Mediterranean basin. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) underscores the importance of effective treatment to protect marine water quality and local ecosystems, including seagrass meadows and coastal fisheries that are sensitive to nutrient pollution.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Tyrrhenian Sea, part of the Mediterranean Sea, which receives drainage from the surrounding Sicilian watershed. The coastal zone supports diverse marine life, including Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, which are ecologically sensitive to nutrient enrichment and require low-nutrient conditions to thrive. Effective secondary treatment helps mitigate eutrophication risks in this coastal environment.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in San Nicola l'Arena, a frazione of Trabia, in the province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Its address is 62, Corso Umberto Primo, San Nicola l'Arena, Trabia, Palermo, 90019.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean Sea. Its coastal location means the treated water enters the marine environment directly.
The plant protects the coastal waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea by treating wastewater before discharge. While no specific river is named, it helps maintain water quality in the local marine ecosystem.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), plants serving agglomerations between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent are required to provide secondary treatment. This plant meets that requirement with its secondary treatment process.
In Italy, plants serving around 5,000 people typically employ secondary biological treatment, as mandated by the EU directive. This includes processes like activated sludge or biological filters to reduce organic matter and suspended solids.
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