Overview
Aylmer Wastewater Lagoons in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada, serves a population of 8,445. The plant is operational and located within 50 km of the coast, discharging into the Lake Erie watershed.
Aylmer Wastewater Lagoons is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Rogers Road in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada. It serves a population of approximately 8,445 people, classifying it as a small to medium-sized agglomeration under Canadian wastewater management standards. The plant is currently operational and plays a key role in managing local wastewater in the region. As a lagoon-based system, the plant provides natural treatment through settling and biological processes. Canadian regulations under the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) require secondary treatment or equivalent for facilities of this scale. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 million cubic meters per year, indicating adequate capacity for the current population served. The treated effluent from Aylmer Wastewater Lagoons ultimately drains into the Lake Erie basin, a vital freshwater ecosystem and part of the Great Lakes system. Lake Erie supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as walleye and perch, and provides drinking water for millions. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 50 km) underscores the importance of effective treatment to protect downstream water quality and ecological health.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Lake Erie watershed, which flows into Lake Erie and then via the Niagara River into Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. Lake Erie is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse aquatic life and serving as a critical migratory corridor for birds and fish. Protecting this watershed from nutrient pollution and pathogens is essential for maintaining water quality and ecosystem health.
Frequently asked questions
Aylmer Wastewater Lagoons is located on Rogers Road in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada, near the town of Aylmer.
The plant serves a population of approximately 8,445 people in the Elgin County area.
The plant uses lagoon-based treatment, which relies on natural settling and biological processes. Treated effluent is discharged into the Lake Erie watershed.
The plant operates under Canada's Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER), which set national standards for effluent quality, including limits on carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, and chlorine.
For small to medium-sized agglomerations in Canada, lagoon systems or mechanical treatment plants with secondary treatment are common. The WSER requires equivalent to secondary treatment for such facilities.
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