PRAGELATO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Pragelato, Piemonte, Italy

The PRAGELATO wastewater treatment plant is located in the alpine town of Pragelato, in the Piemonte region of northwestern Italy. Serving a population of approximately 3,354 residents, the facility is part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure for this mountain community. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment level required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 6,000 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 587 cubic meters per day, the plant has ample capacity to handle current loads. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that drain into the Po River basin, ultimately reaching the Adriatic Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the sensitive alpine watershed and downstream ecosystems from untreated wastewater pollution.

The plant discharges into streams that feed the Po River, Italy's longest river, which flows eastward into the Adriatic Sea. The alpine watershed is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing important habitat for species adapted to cold, oxygen-rich waters. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and protect water quality in this fragile mountain environment.