Lakefield Waste Water Treatment Plant | Selwyn, Ontario Municipal Wastewater Facility

Lakefield Waste Water Treatment Plant is a municipal facility located on County Road 33 in Lakefield, part of Selwyn, Peterborough County, Ontario, Canada. It serves a population of 2,315, typical of a small community in the region. As a Canadian wastewater plant, it operates under Ontario's provincial regulations, which align with the Canada-wide standards for wastewater effluent quality. For small agglomerations like this, secondary treatment is typically required to protect receiving waters. The facility is classified as operational. The plant discharges treated effluent into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the Otonabee River, which flows into Rice Lake and then into the Trent-Severn Waterway, eventually reaching Lake Ontario. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and recreational activities, making effective treatment essential for downstream ecosystem health.

The plant's treated effluent enters a local tributary of the Otonabee River, which flows through Peterborough County into Rice Lake, a shallow eutrophic lake. From there, water continues via the Trent River to Lake Ontario, part of the Great Lakes system. The Otonabee River supports fish species such as walleye and bass, and the watershed is important for migratory waterfowl. Proper wastewater treatment is critical to prevent nutrient loading that could contribute to algal blooms in Rice Lake and downstream waters.