ASHLAND BORO Wastewater Treatment Plant, Butler Township, Pennsylvania

ASHLAND BORO is a wastewater treatment plant located in Butler Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The plant serves a population of 2,283 and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal wastewater discharges. As a small-scale facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 1,181.04 megaliters and an annual discharge volume of 946.35 megaliters, the facility operates at approximately 80% of its capacity. The treatment process ensures compliance with federal and state water quality standards before discharge. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway within the Susquehanna River basin, which ultimately drains into the Chesapeake Bay. The plant plays a role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and the bay's sensitive estuarine environment, which supports diverse fish and shellfish populations.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Susquehanna River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. The bay supports a rich ecosystem including blue crabs, oysters, and migratory fish. Nutrient removal from wastewater is critical to prevent algal blooms and hypoxia in the bay, making the plant's secondary treatment an important component of regional water quality management.