MEDOLLA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Camurana, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

The MEDOLLA wastewater treatment plant is located in Camurana, a locality within the municipality of Medolla, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The plant serves a population of about 6,188 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). As a plant in an EU member state, MEDOLLA operates under the requirements of the UWWTD (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for discharges to freshwater and estuaries from agglomerations of this size. The plant's treatment processes are designed to meet these standards, ensuring compliance with Italian national regulations that transpose the directive. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain 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 plays a key role in protecting the local environment from nutrient pollution and organic matter.

The MEDOLLA plant discharges into the Po River basin, which drains into the Adriatic Sea. This watershed supports extensive agriculture and is ecologically sensitive to nutrient loading. The plant's treatment helps mitigate eutrophication risks in the downstream coastal zone, which is important for fisheries and biodiversity.