TARCENTO_COLLALTO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tarcento, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

TARCENTO_COLLALTO is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Tarcento, within the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. The facility serves a small population of approximately 974 residents and has a design capacity of 4000 cubic meters per day, with a current discharge volume of 831.23 cubic meters per day. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. As an Italian facility, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires advanced treatment for discharges into sensitive areas. For a plant of this scale, the advanced treatment level ensures compliance with stringent environmental standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Adriatic Sea via the Isonzo or Tagliamento river systems. The plant's location more than 10 km from the coast reduces direct marine impact, but its proximity to sensitive freshwater ecosystems necessitates robust treatment to protect aquatic life and downstream water quality.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Tagliamento River, one of the last morphologically intact river systems in the Alps, supporting diverse aquatic habitats. The Tagliamento ultimately reaches the Adriatic Sea near the Gulf of Venice, an ecologically sensitive area with seagrass meadows and fish nurseries. Advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient loading and protects these downstream environments.