Ivinghoe STW - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Pitstone, Buckinghamshire

Ivinghoe STW (Sewage Treatment Works) is located near Pitstone in Buckinghamshire, England, serving a population equivalent of around 3,710. The plant is situated in the rural Chiltern Hills area, north of London, and provides secondary treatment for municipal wastewater from the local community. As a secondary treatment facility, Ivinghoe STW meets the standard required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for agglomerations of this size. The plant has a designed capacity of 3,710 population equivalent and treats an average daily flow of approximately 826 cubic meters. It operates within the regulatory framework of the UK Environment Agency, which issues discharge permits under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. The treated effluent from Ivinghoe STW is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the River Thames catchment. The Thames basin supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in southern England. The plant's location inland and away from the coast reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality in the Thames river system.

Ivinghoe STW discharges into local streams that flow into the River Ouzel or similar tributaries of the Great Ouse, which eventually drains into the Wash estuary. The receiving waters support a range of freshwater species and are part of the Thames Basin Heaths ecological network. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream habitats from nutrient enrichment and organic pollution.