Wastewater discharge and thermoaline conditioning in south Cesenatico (I) coastal area near breakwaters

Field of the present survey is the discharging system of Rubicon River, near South Cesenatico coastal zone, characterized by emerged breakwaters. In dry weather conditions, main part of discharged freshwater and treated effluents from WWTP outfall almost constantly into the transition volumes of the Cesenatico harbour channel. In this case are guaranteed good thermoaline mixing and discharged volumes receive a sanitising effect by salinity and pH on microbial contamination. On the contrary, in the south part of the investigated area, where higher are ground slope, small estuaries as Rubicone outlet, present flow prevalently directed to sea with a continuous outlet of freshwater in surface. The present work describes thermoaline conditions and mass transport during a measurement summer campaign in a typical tidal daily outflowing configuration. The research is carried out by a multiparameter probe inside the estuary of Rubicon River confined by breakwaters and in surrounding coastal sea. The behaviour of vertical profiles of parameters gives account of the confinement into an upflowing surface layer of main part of freshwater discharge. Data are collected in order to validate and to permit calibrations of a 3D mathematical model in progress to apply in the described area.