COXHEATH STW Wastewater Treatment Plant, Maidstone, Kent, England

COXHEATH STW is a wastewater treatment plant located on Busbridge Road in Loose, near Maidstone, Kent, England. It serves a population of around 7,636 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under UK and EU standards. The plant is situated inland, more than 50 km from the coast, and its discharge ultimately contributes to the River Medway catchment. The plant operates under the UK's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD), now retained in UK law. For agglomerations of this size (between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent), the directive requires secondary treatment or equivalent. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in megalitres per day or similar unit), indicating a scale appropriate for its service population. The treated effluent from COXHEATH STW is discharged into local watercourses that flow into the River Medway, which drains into the Thames Estuary and ultimately the North Sea. The Medway catchment supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor. The plant's operation helps protect water quality in this sensitive river system, which is used for recreation and supports local biodiversity.

COXHEATH STW discharges into the River Medway catchment, which flows through Kent to the Thames Estuary and the North Sea. The Medway is a chalk stream river system, supporting diverse aquatic species including salmonids and coarse fish. The plant's treatment helps maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive catchment, which is also used for drinking water abstraction and recreation.