Current trends in special waste treatments: the results of a survey and alternatives in upgrading a wastewater cotreatment plant,

The present paper reports the results of an investigation carried out among the main Italian Municipalities referring to the actual leachate and septage sludge treatments at municipal wastewater treatment plants where they may be fed into either the water line or the sludge line. The discussion of the results shows how many alternatives have been chosen in realizing cotreatment sections and referring to the future trend of treatments among the Municipalities. Moreover it underlines the lack of national guidelines to follow for the upgrading of existing plants and for the realization of new ones. In the second part, the paper reports the first indications provided by a research carrying forward at the wastewater treatment plant of Ferrara, Northern Italy, about the possible upgrading actions at the local existing plant in order to increase the treated quantity of leachate and septage without causing serious operation problems.