MERCARI Wastewater Treatment Plant, Paliano, Lazio, Italy

MERCARI is a wastewater treatment plant located near Paliano in the Lazio region of Italy. Serving a population of 2,000, it is a small-scale facility that plays a key role in managing municipal wastewater for this inland community. The plant is situated in the Frosinone province, an area characterized by hilly terrain and agricultural land. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, ensuring a high level of pollutant removal before discharge. With a designed capacity of 2,000 cubic meters per day and a current discharge volume of approximately 396 cubic meters per day, it operates well within its capacity. Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), small agglomerations like this are required to provide appropriate treatment, and the advanced level here exceeds the minimum secondary treatment standard. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Tyrrhenian Sea via the Tiber River basin. This inland discharge supports the ecological health of the receiving streams and downstream environments. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect local water quality and aquatic habitats in the Lazio region.

The plant discharges into small streams that are part of the Tiber River basin, which flows southwest through Lazio and into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Rome. The Tiber basin supports diverse aquatic life and is an important water resource for the region. Advanced treatment at MERCARI reduces nutrient and pollutant loads, helping to maintain the ecological balance of these waters and prevent eutrophication in the coastal zone.