LIDO AZZURRO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Porto Empedocle, Sicily

LIDO AZZURRO is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Porto Empedocle, a coastal town in the province of Agrigento, Sicily, Italy. The plant served a population of 4,000 and was designed to handle a capacity of 4,400 m³/day, with an average discharge volume of 791.86 m³/day. It is now closed and no longer operational. The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's location within 10 km of the coast means it would have been subject to additional regulatory scrutiny regarding nutrient removal to protect marine waters. The treated effluent was discharged into the Mediterranean Sea, likely via a marine outfall. The coastal waters near Porto Empedocle support diverse marine life and are part of the broader Sicilian coastal ecosystem. Improving treatment efficiency and environmental protection.

The plant discharged into the Mediterranean Sea near Porto Empedocle, a coastal area on the southern coast of Sicily. The receiving waters are part of the Strait of Sicily, a biologically rich region that supports fisheries and migratory marine species. The proximity to the coast means that any discharge could affect nearshore water quality and local marine habitats, including seagrass meadows and rocky reef communities.