An Overview of the Environmental Problems of the Used Waters Extracted from the Factories of the Olive Oil Production, and Their Treatment Methods

The olive oil industry plays a crucial role in the agricultural economy, particularly in Mediterranean countries. Aligning the industry with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is essential for fostering sustainable agriculture, economic growth, and environmental protection. This paper explores how the olive oil sector in Albania contributes to the SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation which addresses the industry’s impact on water consumption and pollution. We conduct a survey in Elbasan country, related to the olive oil industry and its impact on the environment. The environmental audit of the Olive oil mill in Selita village result in water and soil pollution because of the septic tank wastewater treatment method applied to the olive oil effluent. In Albania we face this problems in many other olive oils factories. Based on the study results we proposed the mitigation measures to protect environment. We analyzed and proposed the best scenario to treat wastewater for olive oil mills in Elbasan County.