Overview
San Fele Cecci is a closed secondary wastewater treatment plant in Salandra, Basilicata, Italy. It served the local municipality before ceasing operations.
San Fele Cecci is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Salandra, a town in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. The plant was designed to provide secondary treatment for municipal wastewater, serving the local community in the province of Matera. Its closure indicates that wastewater management in the area has been transitioned to other facilities or alternative systems. As a secondary treatment plant, San Fele Cecci would have met the minimum treatment requirements under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which mandates secondary treatment for agglomerations of this scale. The directive aims to protect the environment from the adverse effects of untreated wastewater, particularly in sensitive areas. The plant's closure suggests that the region's wastewater infrastructure has been upgraded or consolidated. The plant's discharge would have entered local watercourses that drain into the Ionian Sea via the Basento or Bradano river systems. These rivers support diverse aquatic life and are important for agriculture and local ecosystems. The closure of the plant may have reduced local pollution loads, benefiting downstream water quality and the marine environment of the Gulf of Taranto.
Environmental context
The plant is located inland in the Basilicata region, within the drainage basin of the Ionian Sea. Local streams and rivers, such as the Basento or Bradano, carry runoff and treated wastewater to the Gulf of Taranto. This coastal area supports fisheries and marine biodiversity, making proper wastewater treatment essential for preventing eutrophication and protecting aquatic habitats.
Frequently asked questions
San Fele Cecci is located in Salandra, a town in the province of Matera, Basilicata region, southern Italy.
The plant is closed, meaning it no longer treats wastewater. Wastewater management in the area has likely been transferred to other facilities.
The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for most agglomerations.
The directive requires secondary treatment for all wastewater discharges from agglomerations of over 2,000 population equivalent, and more stringent treatment in sensitive areas. San Fele Cecci, as a secondary plant, would have complied with these standards.
The plant is inland in Basilicata, with discharge likely entering rivers that flow to the Ionian Sea. Proper treatment protects downstream ecosystems and coastal waters from nutrient pollution.
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