MAGLIE_CONSORTILE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Maglie, Puglia, Italy

MAGLIE_CONSORTILE is a wastewater treatment plant located in Maglie, a town in the Puglia region of southern Italy. The plant serves a population equivalent of approximately 66,613, placing it in the medium-to-large agglomeration category under Italian and EU regulations. Its designed capacity is recorded as 1. As an Italian plant serving over 50,000 people, MAGLIE_CONSORTILE operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment as a minimum for agglomerations of this size. Depending on the sensitivity of the receiving environment, tertiary treatment may also be mandated. Compliance with the directive ensures a baseline of treatment quality. The plant's discharge ultimately reaches the Ionian Sea via local waterways in the Salento peninsula. The region's coastal and marine ecosystems are sensitive to nutrient pollution, making effective wastewater treatment critical for protecting water quality and aquatic life in the Adriatic-Ionian basin.

The plant is located in the Salento peninsula, a karstic region where surface waters often drain into underground aquifers and eventually reach the Ionian Sea. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic habitats and is important for migratory birds. Discharges from the plant must be managed to prevent eutrophication in the coastal zone, which is ecologically sensitive due to seagrass meadows and marine biodiversity.