Santa Caterina dello Jonio Miloti Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio, Calabria

The Santa Caterina dello Jonio Miloti wastewater treatment plant is located in Contrada Taverna, Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio, in the province of Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,000 people, reflecting its role in managing municipal wastewater for this coastal community in southern Italy. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. With a designed capacity of 4,000 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 791.86 m³/day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The facility is situated within 10 km of the coast, highlighting its importance in protecting the marine environment. The treated effluent is discharged into the Ionian Sea, a part of the Mediterranean Sea. The plant's location in Calabria, a region with a rugged coastline and tourism-driven economy, underscores the need for effective wastewater management to safeguard coastal water quality and support local ecosystems. The receiving waters ultimately drain into the Mediterranean, a semi-enclosed sea with sensitive marine habitats.

The plant discharges into the Ionian Sea, which is part of the broader Mediterranean Sea. The coastal waters of Calabria support diverse marine life, including seagrass meadows and fish spawning grounds. Effective secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads and pathogens, protecting these ecologically sensitive areas from eutrophication and contamination. The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin with limited water exchange, making it vulnerable to pollution from coastal discharges.