GIS to monitor seawater quality and the influence of WWTPs

Claudia Lasagna, Gianluigi Mirandi, Franca Palumbo, Patrizia Rosi

A.M.G.A. S.p.A., Genoa, (I)

Abstract

According to the Italian regulation, wastewater treatment plant managers are not charged with any specific task related to the quality control of seawater affected by the discharge of effluents from WWTP's. This has not stopped Genova Acque, the company that manages eight WWTP's within the city of Genoa, from monitoring seawater quality, thus involving the laboratory of the AMGA company in carrying out off-line analyses. Over 100 sampling points were GIS-identified and the data obtained were used for drawing theme maps which allow a very quick evaluation of seawater quality in any zone. This has proved particularly useful in the evaluation of how structural changes in WWTP's affect sea water quality.
This work focuses its attention on the Voltri plant, located in the far-west area of the city of Genoa, with a special regard to what has changed in the coastal area since all the sewers were connected to the main network and the plant itself was completed and started working.