Overview
Boothbay Harbor WWTF serves 1,927 residents in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The plant has a designed capacity of 1.00 million gallons per day and is located within 50 km of the coast.
Boothbay Harbor WWTF is a municipal wastewater treatment facility serving the coastal community of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, United States. With a population served of 1,927, it is classified as a small-scale treatment plant under the US Clean Water Act framework. The plant has a designed capacity of 1.00 million gallons per day. As a US facility, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets discharge limits to protect water quality. Typical plants of this size in Maine employ secondary treatment to meet state and federal standards. The plant's location within 50 km of the coast means its treated effluent ultimately reaches the Atlantic Ocean via local waterways. The Boothbay Harbor area is part of the Gulf of Maine watershed, which supports diverse marine life including lobster, groundfish, and migratory seabirds. Proper treatment is essential to protect these coastal ecosystems from nutrient pollution and pathogens.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Boothbay Harbor estuary, which flows into the Gulf of Maine and then the Atlantic Ocean. This coastal watershed supports critical marine habitats, including shellfish beds and finfish nursery areas. Nutrient loading from wastewater can contribute to algal blooms and hypoxia in estuaries, making effective treatment important for maintaining water quality and ecosystem health.
Frequently asked questions
Boothbay Harbor WWTF is located at 26 Sea Street, Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln County, Maine, United States.
The plant serves a population of 1,927 residents in the Boothbay Harbor area.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the Boothbay Harbor estuary, which flows into the Gulf of Maine and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.
As a US facility, Boothbay Harbor WWTF operates under the Clean Water Act and is regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
For small communities in Maine, typical wastewater treatment includes secondary treatment processes such as activated sludge or lagoons, designed to meet state water quality standards for discharge into coastal waters.
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