Overview
Defiance Co Auglaize River Lagoon WWTP is a secondary treatment plant in Summit Township, Michigan, serving 1,800 people. It discharges 681.37 million gallons per year into the Auglaize River watershed.
Defiance Co Auglaize River Lagoon WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 1517 Jericho Road in Summit Township, Jackson County, Michigan. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,800 residents and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is the minimum required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. The plant has a designed capacity of 844.14 million gallons per year and currently discharges 681.37 million gallons per year, indicating it operates below its design capacity. As a secondary treatment plant, it uses biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the effluent limits set by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program administered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). The treated effluent is discharged into the Auglaize River, a tributary of the Maumee River, which flows into Lake Erie. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in the Maumee River basin, which is part of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The region's agricultural landscape means the plant helps reduce nutrient loading that can contribute to algal blooms in Lake Erie.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Auglaize River, which flows into the Maumee River and ultimately into Lake Erie, the shallowest and most nutrient-sensitive of the Great Lakes. The Maumee River basin is a major agricultural watershed, and wastewater treatment plants like this one help control phosphorus and nitrogen inputs that can fuel harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. The plant's secondary treatment provides significant removal of organic pollutants and suspended solids, supporting the ecological health of the downstream aquatic environment.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located at 1517 Jericho Road in Summit Township, Jackson County, Michigan, United States.
The plant serves approximately 1,800 residents in the Summit Township area.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the Auglaize River, which flows into the Maumee River and then into Lake Erie.
The plant operates under the US Clean Water Act and is regulated by an NPDES permit issued by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
For small communities in the US, secondary treatment is the standard requirement under the Clean Water Act, which this plant provides. Some small plants may use lagoon systems or other cost-effective technologies to meet effluent limits.
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