Audley STW Wastewater Treatment Plant, Newcastle-under-Lyme, England

Audley STW is a wastewater treatment plant located in Audley, near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. The facility serves a population of around 8,000 residents, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under UK water industry standards. As a plant in England, Audley STW is regulated by the Environment Agency under the Water Industry Act 1991 and must comply with the Urban Waste Water Treatment (England and Wales) Regulations 2003, which transpose the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. For a plant of this scale, secondary treatment is typically required, and discharge permits set limits on biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, and other parameters to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from Audley STW likely discharges into a local watercourse that feeds into the River Trent catchment, which ultimately drains into the Humber Estuary and the North Sea. The plant plays a role in protecting local streams and the wider river basin from nutrient pollution and organic loading.

The plant's discharge enters a tributary of the River Trent, which flows through the Midlands to the Humber Estuary, a major ecological feature supporting diverse bird life and fish populations. The Trent catchment is designated as a sensitive area under UK regulations due to nutrient enrichment concerns, requiring advanced treatment in some cases. The local watershed includes agricultural and urban runoff, making the plant's nutrient removal important for downstream water quality.