VALLONCELLO_SELVUCCIA Wastewater Treatment Plant, Atessa, Italy

VALLONCELLO_SELVUCCIA is a wastewater treatment plant located in Atessa, in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo region, Italy. The plant serves a population of approximately 2000 people and has a designed capacity of 2000 cubic meters per day. It operates under Italy's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. The plant provides secondary treatment, which typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. As a small agglomeration (under 10,000 population equivalent), it meets the EU directive's standard requirements. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Adriatic Sea via the Sangro River basin. The receiving water body is part of the Adriatic Sea catchment, an ecologically important marine environment. The plant's discharge contributes to the protection of local water quality and downstream ecosystems, including coastal areas and marine habitats. Proper treatment helps safeguard the ecological balance of the region's rivers and coastal waters.

The plant discharges into the Sangro River basin, which flows eastward into the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic Sea is a semi-enclosed marine basin with significant biodiversity, including seagrass meadows and fish spawning grounds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in coastal waters, supporting the ecological health of the Adriatic ecosystem.