ORSOMARSO_PITULLO Wastewater Treatment Plant, San Donato di Ninea, Calabria

ORSOMARSO_PITULLO is a wastewater treatment facility located in the Policastrello area of San Donato di Ninea, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy. The plant serves a population of about 3,715 people, placing it in the small agglomeration category under Italian and EU regulations. It is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast, within the Calabria region of southern Italy. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 2,600 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 735.44 m³/day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The advanced treatment level suggests that the plant is equipped to remove nutrients and other pollutants to a high standard, likely to protect sensitive receiving waters. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Tyrrhenian Sea, part of the Mediterranean Sea. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting the region's water quality, supporting both local ecosystems and downstream marine environments. Its advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, which is important for preventing eutrophication in coastal waters.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, a basin of the Mediterranean Sea. The surrounding area is characterized by the Pollino Massif and the Calabrian Apennines, with rivers that support diverse aquatic life. The advanced treatment helps protect downstream ecosystems, including coastal habitats that are important for marine biodiversity and fisheries.