Mignano Monte Lungo Depuratore Loc Mignano - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Campania, Italy

Mignano Monte Lungo Depuratore Loc Mignano is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Mignano Monte Lungo, a town in the province of Caserta, Campania, Italy. The plant serves a small population of 400 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or small-town setting. It is situated inland, more than 10 kilometers from the coast, but within 50 kilometers of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive mandates secondary treatment for all discharges from agglomerations with a population equivalent (PE) between 2,000 and 10,000, and this plant, serving 400 people, falls below that threshold, yet still employs secondary treatment. The designed capacity is 500 cubic meters per day, with a reported discharge volume of 79.19 cubic meters per day, indicating the plant operates well below its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Garigliano River basin, which flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The plant's operation helps protect the local watershed and downstream aquatic ecosystems from untreated sewage, supporting water quality in the region's rivers and coastal waters.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Garigliano River, which flows through the Lazio and Campania regions before entering the Tyrrhenian Sea near the Gulf of Gaeta. The downstream environment includes ecologically sensitive coastal habitats and marine areas that support diverse aquatic life. The secondary treatment provided helps reduce organic pollutants and protect these waters from eutrophication and other impacts.