Acea Molise, 50% of work completed on the new Pantano wastewater treatment plant

Investment programme moves forward to reshape the city’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

Half of the main works have now been completed, with upgrades to the sewerage network due to begin after the summer. The new system will serve a population equivalent of more than 60,000, supporting the city’s development and strengthening environmental protection across the local area. The total investment exceeds €10.7 million.

Work to expand and upgrade the Pantano wastewater treatment plant is progressing according to schedule. The project is one of the most significant infrastructure initiatives currently under way in the municipality. Construction has now reached the 50% completion milestone, confirming that the project remains on schedule for completion by December 2027.

The initiative forms part of the project finance awarded to Acea Molise by the Municipality of Termoli. It represents a strategic investment in improving the integrated water service and protecting environmental resources. It involves not only upgrading the existing Pantano wastewater treatment plant, but also comprehensively reorganising the city’s sewerage and wastewater treatment system.

The plant, which currently has a treatment capacity of approximately 22,000 population equivalents, will be expanded to serve more than 60,000 population equivalents, becoming the municipality’s main urban wastewater treatment facility.

Alongside the ongoing civil and plant engineering works at the wastewater treatment plant, detailed designs for the sewerage network upgrades have been completed. Work on the new wastewater collection system is scheduled to begin by the end of September. The system will convey wastewater from the Rio Vivo area and the port district to the Pantano plant through the upgrading of pumping stations and the construction of more than three kilometres of new pipelines.

Another key element of the project will be the conversion of the existing wastewater treatment plant located in the harbour area. The facility will no longer be used for the biological treatment of wastewater but will instead be converted into a pre-treatment and pumping station. This will remove the most environmentally impactful wastewater treatment operations from the city’s waterfront and support the more effective urban and environmental integration of an area of particular value to the city.

The total investment amounts to approximately €10.7 million, of which more than €3.8 million is financed through regional resources from the Fondo per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione (Development and Cohesion Fund - FSC). The remaining amount is funded under the integrated water service concession.

In terms of performance, the new system will be able to treat total flow rates of up to approximately 1,348 cubic metres per hour, ensuring adequate capacity for both the resident population and the significant increase in demand during the tourist season. The new plant configuration has been designed to deliver high levels of operational efficiency throughout the year, adapting to seasonal fluctuations in demand.

The technological component of the works is also particularly significant. The existing infrastructure will be replaced with state-of-the-art systems based on activated sludge biological processes, smart aeration control, advanced sensor technology, remote monitoring and control, and automation. These solutions will improve treatment efficiency, reduce energy consumption and enhance service reliability.

The project also features continuous performance monitoring systems and a permanent station dedicated to monitoring environmental parameters, reflecting Acea Molise’s commitment to sustainability and the protection of both coastal and inland ecosystems.

More than ten professionals are currently involved in the initiative, including designers, construction supervisors and health and safety coordinators, while around ten workers are on site each day. Overall, the project is expected to require more than 30,000 working hours across technical activities, design and construction.

“We have completed approximately half of the work to expand the Pantano wastewater treatment plant and are progressing in line with the planned schedule,” said Giovanni Tretola, Head of Construction Supervision and Services at Acea Molise. “At the same time, we are finalising all the preparatory activities needed to begin the second phase of the works. This is a significant achievement that confirms the robustness of the planning process and that the project is fully operational. We are not simply building a new plant. We are creating infrastructure that will strengthen environmental protection, improve the efficiency of the water service and support the city’s growth over the coming decades. Relocating wastewater treatment operations away from the port area will also enhance one of Termoli’s most important and iconic locations, delivering tangible benefits for residents, tourism and the quality of the urban environment. This investment brings together technological innovation, environmental sustainability and urban regeneration.”