Bloomington STP North Wastewater Treatment Plant, Monroe County, Indiana

Bloomington STP North is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Monroe County, Indiana, serving a population of about 19,054. The facility is situated at 984 West Maple Grove Road and is part of the region's wastewater infrastructure. As a US-based plant, it operates under the Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for discharges into surface waters. Facilities of this scale typically employ secondary treatment as a minimum standard. The plant's discharge ultimately flows into the White River watershed, which drains into the Wabash River and then the Ohio River, contributing to the Mississippi River basin. This waterway supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's location inland, away from coastal areas, reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge still affects local stream ecology and water quality.

The plant's treated effluent enters the local tributaries of the White River, which flows through southern Indiana before joining the Wabash River. The Wabash River then empties into the Ohio River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. This watershed supports a variety of fish species and provides habitat for freshwater mussels. The region's karst topography can make groundwater vulnerable to contamination, emphasizing the importance of proper wastewater treatment.