SAPPADA_LERPA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sappada, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

SAPPADA_LERPA is a wastewater treatment plant located in the Borgata Lerpa area of Sappada, a municipality in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. The plant serves a small population of 625 residents, reflecting the alpine character of the area. It is situated in the Carnic Alps near the border with Austria, at an elevation of over 1200 meters. 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 with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 10,000. However, for smaller agglomerations like this one (serving 625 people), the directive allows appropriate treatment to ensure receiving waters meet quality objectives. The plant has a designed capacity of 300 m³/day and currently discharges an average volume of 123.73 m³/day. The treated effluent is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Piave River basin. The Piave River flows southward through the Veneto region into the Adriatic Sea. The plant's location in a mountainous area means it plays a key role in protecting the pristine alpine streams and the downstream aquatic ecosystems, including the Piave River, which supports diverse fish populations and is used for irrigation and recreation.

The plant discharges into the Piave River basin, which flows through the Dolomites and Veneto before entering the Adriatic Sea near Jesolo. The upper Piave is a high-gradient alpine river with sensitive aquatic habitats, including populations of marble trout and other cold-water species. The plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality in this ecologically important watershed, which also supplies drinking water and supports tourism in the region.