Charles Mill Sites Lake Cottage WWTP - Advanced Treatment in Ashland County, Ohio

Charles Mill Sites Lake Cottage WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Mifflin Township, Ashland County, Ohio, United States. The plant serves a small population of approximately 500 residents, providing advanced treatment to protect local water quality. As an advanced treatment plant, it goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants, meeting stringent effluent standards. The facility has a designed capacity of 170.34 volume units and discharges a similar daily volume. Under the US Clean Water Act, such plants operate under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, ensuring compliance with water quality criteria. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into a local receiving water body, which ultimately drains into the Ohio River basin. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient loading and protects the ecological health of the region's waterways.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Ohio River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Ohio River basin is a major ecological corridor supporting diverse fish and wildlife. Advanced treatment at this plant reduces nutrient pollution, helping to mitigate hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and protect local aquatic habitats.