Overview
Ridgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant serves 3,374 residents in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. The facility operates under Canadian provincial wastewater regulations and discharges treated effluent into the Lake Erie watershed.
The Ridgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant is a municipal facility located along the CASO Trail in Ridgetown, Ontario, Canada. Serving a population of approximately 3,374, the plant is part of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent's wastewater infrastructure. The plant is operational and has a designed capacity of 1.00 million liters per day, supporting the local community's sanitation needs. As a Canadian wastewater facility, the plant operates under Ontario's provincial regulations, which align with the federal Canadian Environmental Protection Act. For a community of this size, secondary treatment is typically required to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant's treatment process and specific effluent quality parameters are managed through provincial permits to ensure compliance with environmental standards. The treated effluent from the Ridgetown plant is discharged into the Lake Erie drainage basin, contributing to the overall water quality of the Great Lakes system. Lake Erie supports diverse aquatic life and is a critical freshwater resource for millions of people. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream ecosystems by reducing pollutant loads from the community.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Lake Erie watershed, which ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River. Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes and is particularly sensitive to nutrient pollution, which can lead to harmful algal blooms. The plant's treatment processes help mitigate nutrient loading, supporting the ecological health of the lake and its tributaries.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located along the CASO Trail in Ridgetown, within the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada.
The plant serves approximately 3,374 residents in the Ridgetown community.
The treated effluent is discharged into the Lake Erie drainage basin, which flows into Lake Erie and eventually the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River.
The plant operates under Ontario's provincial wastewater regulations, which implement the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Permits set limits on effluent quality to protect the environment.
In Canada, municipal wastewater plants serving communities of this size typically provide secondary treatment, which includes biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids.
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