Monte Sant'Angelo B Wastewater Treatment Plant, Puglia, Italy

Monte Sant'Angelo B is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Monte Sant'Angelo, in the Puglia region of southern Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,924 and is situated near the Adriatic coast, less than 10 kilometers from the sea. It operates under Italy's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which sets standards for wastewater treatment based on population size and receiving water sensitivity. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. Its designed capacity is 7,500 cubic meters per day, and it currently discharges around 658 cubic meters of treated wastewater daily. For a plant of this scale, secondary treatment meets the EU directive's requirements for inland and coastal discharges, though coastal areas may require additional nutrient removal if the receiving waters are sensitive. The treated effluent from Monte Sant'Angelo B flows into local watercourses that drain into the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic is a semi-enclosed sea with limited water exchange, making it sensitive to nutrient pollution. The plant's coastal location underscores the importance of effective treatment to protect marine ecosystems and bathing water quality along the Puglian coast.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Adriatic Sea, a semi-enclosed basin with limited tidal flushing. The Adriatic supports diverse marine life, including seagrass meadows and fish nurseries, and is an important migratory corridor for sea turtles and seabirds. Nutrient inputs from coastal discharges can contribute to eutrophication, so secondary treatment helps mitigate this risk in the region.