Berks Montgomery W Swamp STP - Douglass Township, Pennsylvania Wastewater Treatment Plant

Berks Montgomery W Swamp STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Douglass Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The facility serves a population of about 11,185 people, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category. As a plant in the United States, it operates under the Clean Water Act, which requires NPDES permits for all point source discharges. However, under the Clean Water Act, facilities of this scale typically employ secondary treatment as a minimum standard. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection oversee compliance with effluent limitations designed to protect water quality. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local water body that is part of the Schuylkill River watershed. The Schuylkill River flows southeast to the Delaware River, which ultimately empties into the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a role in maintaining water quality in this ecologically important river system, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Schuylkill River, which flows into the Delaware River and then the Delaware Bay. The Schuylkill River watershed is a critical drinking water source for Philadelphia and supports a variety of fish species, including American shad and smallmouth bass. The downstream Delaware Estuary is a major migratory corridor for birds and fish, making nutrient and pollutant control essential for ecosystem health.