Overview
San Vincenzo La Costa San Vincenzo is a primary treatment plant in San Nicola Arcella, Calabria, Italy, serving 500 people. It discharges treated wastewater near the Tyrrhenian Sea coast.
San Vincenzo La Costa San Vincenzo is a wastewater treatment plant located in the Vannefora area of San Nicola Arcella, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy. The plant serves a small population of 500 people and is situated in a coastal region of southern Italy. The plant provides primary treatment, which involves physical processes such as sedimentation to remove solids. With a designed capacity of 1000 cubic meters per day and a discharge volume of 98.98 cubic meters per day, it operates well below its capacity. As an Italian plant, it falls under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size, though primary treatment may be permitted in certain coastal areas with adequate dilution. The treated effluent is discharged into the local environment, likely reaching the Tyrrhenian Sea via small coastal streams. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) means its discharge can affect coastal water quality and marine ecosystems, including seagrass meadows and fish habitats that are ecologically sensitive in this Mediterranean region.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Tyrrhenian Sea, a major Mediterranean basin. The coastal waters near San Nicola Arcella support diverse marine life, including seagrass meadows and fish spawning grounds. The plant's primary treatment level and coastal location mean that nutrients and pollutants may reach the sea, potentially impacting water quality and local ecosystems. The area is part of the larger Calabrian coastal zone, which is important for tourism and fisheries.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in the Vannefora area of San Nicola Arcella, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy.
The plant serves a population of 500 people, making it a small-scale facility.
The plant provides primary treatment and discharges treated effluent into the local environment, likely reaching the Tyrrhenian Sea via coastal streams.
The plant helps protect local coastal waters and the Tyrrhenian Sea from untreated wastewater, though no specific river is named as the receiving water body.
Under the EU UWWTD, agglomerations of 500 people typically require secondary treatment. However, primary treatment may be allowed in coastal areas with sufficient dilution, as is the case here.
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