Overview
BRISTOL WWTP serves 1,400 residents in Bristol, Indiana, as part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure. The plant discharges treated effluent into the local watershed within the St. Joseph River basin.
BRISTOL WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 1242 West Vistula Street in Bristol, Elkhart County, Indiana. Serving a population of approximately 1,400, the plant is part of the region's essential water infrastructure, managing domestic wastewater from this small community in the northern part of the state. As a small-scale treatment plant in the United States, BRISTOL WWTP operates under the regulatory framework of the Clean Water Act, administered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Facilities of this size typically employ secondary treatment processes to meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements, ensuring effluent quality protects receiving waters. The plant's treated effluent discharges into the local watershed, which drains into the St. Joseph River, a tributary of the Maumee River that flows into Lake Erie. This connection to the Great Lakes system underscores the plant's role in protecting downstream water quality and the diverse aquatic ecosystems supported by these waters.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters the St. Joseph River watershed, which flows through northern Indiana and southern Michigan before joining the Maumee River and ultimately reaching Lake Erie. This region supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as walleye and smallmouth bass, and provides important habitat for migratory waterfowl. The watershed is part of the larger Great Lakes basin, a globally significant freshwater resource.
Frequently asked questions
BRISTOL WWTP is located at 1242 West Vistula Street in Bristol, Elkhart County, Indiana, United States.
BRISTOL WWTP serves a population of approximately 1,400 residents in the Bristol area.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the local watershed, which drains into the St. Joseph River, a tributary of the Maumee River that flows into Lake Erie.
BRISTOL WWTP operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, with NPDES permits issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).
Small municipal plants in the U.S. typically use secondary treatment processes, such as activated sludge or lagoon systems, to meet NPDES permit limits for BOD, TSS, and other pollutants.
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