Aurora V WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Village of Aurora, New York

Aurora V WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 12 Main Street in the Village of Aurora, within the Town of Ledyard, Cayuga County, New York. The plant serves a population of approximately 840 residents, classifying it as a small-scale facility under U.S. regulatory frameworks. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 1,135.62 volume units and an average discharge volume of 329.33 units, the plant operates well within its capacity. As a facility in New York State, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The treated effluent from Aurora V WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that flows into Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. Cayuga Lake is a major freshwater resource that supports diverse aquatic life, recreational activities, and serves as a drinking water source for surrounding communities. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect the lake's water quality by reducing organic pollutants and suspended solids.

Aurora V WWTP discharges into a tributary of Cayuga Lake, the second-largest of New York's Finger Lakes. Cayuga Lake drains northward via the Seneca River into the Oswego River, which ultimately flows into Lake Ontario. The lake supports a diverse ecosystem including lake trout, landlocked salmon, and migratory birds. As a deep, cold-water lake, it is sensitive to nutrient loading, making the plant's secondary treatment important for controlling phosphorus and other pollutants that could contribute to algal blooms.