VOGOGNA_NORD Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dresio, Piemonte, Italy

VOGOGNA_NORD is a wastewater treatment plant located in Dresio, a locality within the municipality of Vogogna, in the Piemonte region of northern Italy. The plant serves a population of around 3,664 and is situated in the Ossola valley, an alpine area known for its mountainous terrain and proximity to the Toce River. 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 between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent. With a designed capacity of 8,000 m³/day, the facility is sized to handle the wastewater from the local community and is currently discharging approximately 548 m³/day, indicating a utilization rate well below capacity. The treated effluent from VOGOGNA_NORD is discharged into the local water system, which ultimately drains into the Toce River, a tributary of Lake Maggiore. Lake Maggiore is a large subalpine lake that flows into the Ticino River, which eventually joins the Po River and reaches the Adriatic Sea. The plant plays a key role in protecting the sensitive alpine aquatic ecosystem and the downstream lake environment from pollution.

The plant discharges into the Toce River, which flows into Lake Maggiore, one of Italy's largest and most ecologically significant subalpine lakes. Lake Maggiore supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish. The downstream Ticino River is a major tributary of the Po River, which drains into the Adriatic Sea. Protecting water quality in this alpine watershed is critical for maintaining the ecological health of the lake and the broader Po basin.