LUNGRO_LASCANTINO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dipignano, Calabria, Italy

LUNGRO_LASCANTINO is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Dipignano, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,800 residents, reflecting its role as a small-scale municipal treatment system in a rural or peri-urban setting. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 2,000 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 356.34 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variability. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Ionian Sea via the Crati River basin. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and supports water quality in the region, which is characterized by mountainous terrain and a Mediterranean climate.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Crati River, which flows into the Ionian Sea near the Gulf of Taranto. The Crati River basin supports diverse aquatic life and is an important water resource for agriculture and drinking water in Calabria. Advanced treatment at this facility helps reduce nutrient loading and protects downstream water quality in a region where seasonal tourism and agriculture can stress water resources.