PIANELLO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Pianello Val Tidone, Emilia-Romagna

PIANELLO is a wastewater treatment plant located in Pianello Val Tidone, a town in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The plant provides secondary treatment to serve a population of approximately 2,393 residents, with a designed capacity of 3,000 cubic meters per day and an average daily discharge of 353.16 cubic meters. As a secondary treatment facility, PIANELLO meets the standard requirements under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The directive mandates secondary treatment for populations between 2,000 and 10,000 in inland areas, which aligns with the plant's current configuration and capacity utilization. The plant discharges treated effluent into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Po River basin, a major hydrological system in northern Italy. The Po River flows eastward into the Adriatic Sea, supporting diverse aquatic life and agricultural activities along its course. Effective treatment at PIANELLO helps protect downstream water quality and ecological health.

The treated effluent from PIANELLO enters local streams within the Po River basin, which is the largest river system in Italy. The Po River flows through the Po Valley, a densely populated and agriculturally intensive region, before emptying into the Adriatic Sea. This watershed supports a variety of fish species and provides irrigation for extensive farmland. Proper wastewater treatment is essential to prevent nutrient pollution and maintain the ecological balance of the river and its delta.