QUARTU S E ZONE A MARE LOTT LOASI Wastewater Treatment Plant, Quartu Sant'Elena, Sardinia

QUARTU S E ZONE A MARE LOTT LOASI is a wastewater treatment plant located in Quartu Sant'Elena, a coastal town in the metropolitan area of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. The plant serves a small population of 300 residents, reflecting its role in a localized residential or tourist area. It is situated near the coast, within 10 km of the Mediterranean Sea. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. Its designed capacity of 300 m³/day matches the population served, indicating appropriate sizing. The plant discharges an average of 59.39 m³/day of treated wastewater, operating well within its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea, likely via a local drainage system or directly into the marine environment. The receiving water body supports diverse marine life and is part of the ecologically sensitive Sardinian coastal zone. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the local marine ecosystem and bathing waters, which are important for tourism and recreation in the Cagliari area.

The plant discharges into the Mediterranean Sea near Quartu Sant'Elena, within the Gulf of Cagliari. This coastal area supports seagrass meadows and diverse marine fauna, and is influenced by seasonal tourism. The advanced treatment ensures minimal nutrient and pollutant loading, protecting water quality for recreational use and marine biodiversity. The broader drainage basin includes the surrounding hills and urban runoff, but the plant's effluent is a controlled point source.