WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Impianto AquarnoIndustrial wastewater sectionMunicipal wastewater section

Consorzio Aquarno was established in 1974  for the purpose of controlling and managing the centralized WWTP in Santa Croce sull'Arno, where currently takes place the treatment of both municipal and industrial wastewater of three municipalities:
  • Santa Croce sull'Arno
  • Fucecchio
  • Castelfranco di Sotto.
Aquarno has also acquired the control of another WWTP and  a sludge treatment plant  within the Tuscan Leather District, respectively in 2013 and 2014,  but the operative centre is still based in the WWTP in Santa Croce sull'Arno.

The two different kinds of wastewater, come to the plant by a separated sewerage system and, once entered the facility, they remain splitted on two distinct treatment sections, until the final discharge where they are gathered.

The wastewater processing has a determining impact on the economy and environmental sustainability of the whole Tuscan Leather District. On the right bank of the river Arno, Consorzio Aquarno play a leading role in this significant challenge, which requires a constant and substantial commitment, in order to be able to respect  industrial necessities and legal restrictions without delay, or even  in advance.

The Aquarno's catchment area, with its 129km2, 52.000 inhabitants and more than 300 tanneries, represents a more populated and more industrialized area respect to the left bank of the river Arno. Furthermore, Chrome Tanned Leather is the main product of tanneries on right side, this has significant effects on the qualities of discharged wastewater. Consorzio Aquarno is called to account of all these concerning aspects, unambiguously and unmistakably, in order to respect legal and industrial requirements.

The operativity of WWTP in santa Croce sull'Arno, is a very complex issue due to the continuous changes in legal limits and flutuation of flow rates and compositions of incoming flows. The solution to these situations is the adoption of a dynamic management system, fully integrated with the industrial environment served by the purification plant and, this, is exactly what Consorzio Aquarno do every day. 

In order to meet all regulations and productive needs, the depuration process has been continuously and deeply studied, leading to the implementation of new Technologies, with a view to maximize the process efficiencies, both depurative and energetic. Over a period of more than 40 years, the area dedicated to the purification of water has progressively been expanded, reaching a surface of about 2 square kilometers. As well as the surface of the plant, also the volumetric capacity of the whole treatment process increased, from around 10.000 m3 in 1974 to more than 150.000 m3 in 2015.   Even though Aquarno, whit its 2.050.000 I.E., has one of the biggest treatment capcity in Europe, further expansions are scheduled for next ten years, leading to the increase of volumetric capcity up to 180.000 m3

Here below are reported the links to detailed descriptions of the two main sections of the WWTP: