Burnham Boro Auth Wastewater Treatment Plant, Derry Township, Pennsylvania

Burnham Boro Auth is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Derry Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. The facility serves a population of 2,611 and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges. As a small agglomeration, it plays a key role in managing local wastewater in this rural area of central Pennsylvania. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 2,422.66 thousand cubic meters per year and a current discharge volume of 757.08 thousand cubic meters per year, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The plant is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Susquehanna River basin, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. This makes the plant's performance important for the health of the Chesapeake Bay estuary, a large and ecologically significant watershed. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads to the bay, supporting efforts to restore water quality and aquatic habitats.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Susquehanna River, which flows south through Pennsylvania and Maryland into the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and supports diverse aquatic life, including blue crabs, oysters, and migratory fish. Nutrient pollution from wastewater treatment plants is a key concern for the bay's health, making secondary treatment and nutrient removal critical for protecting downstream ecosystems.