MEDESANO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Medesano, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

MEDESANO is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Medesano, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The facility serves a population of around 3,686 and has a designed capacity of 6,500 cubic meters per day, with a current discharge volume of 875.92 m³/day. It is situated inland, away from coastal areas, and plays a key role in managing local municipal wastewater. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standards required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus) to protect sensitive receiving waters. As an Italian facility, it operates under national regulations that transpose the EU directive, ensuring compliance with stringent effluent quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Po River basin, one of Italy's most significant hydrological systems. The Po River flows eastward into the Adriatic Sea, supporting diverse aquatic life and agricultural activities along its course. The plant's advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, contributing to the ecological health of the Po basin and the Adriatic coastal zone.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Po River, which flows through the Po Valley and empties into the Adriatic Sea. The Po basin is a densely populated and agriculturally intensive region, making nutrient management critical to prevent eutrophication in the Adriatic. The advanced treatment at MEDESANO helps mitigate this risk by reducing nitrogen and phosphorus loads, supporting the ecological balance of downstream waters.