Overview
Erie Co Mittiwanga Ruggles Beach WWTP is an advanced treatment plant serving 2,700 people in Ruggles Beach, Ohio. It discharges treated wastewater near Lake Erie, with a design capacity of 567.81 thousand cubic meters per year.
Erie Co Mittiwanga Ruggles Beach WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Ruggles Beach, Erie County, Ohio, along the southern shore of Lake Erie. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,700 residents and operates with advanced treatment processes, ensuring high-quality effluent before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 567.81 thousand cubic meters per year and currently treats an annual discharge volume of 495.89 thousand cubic meters. As a facility in the United States, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which set strict limits on effluent quality to protect receiving waters. The treated wastewater is discharged into the Lake Erie basin, a vital freshwater resource that supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions. The plant's advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical for mitigating harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, a significant ecological concern for the region.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Lake Erie watershed, part of the Great Lakes system that ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River. Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes and is particularly sensitive to nutrient pollution, which can fuel harmful algal blooms. The advanced treatment at this plant helps minimize phosphorus and nitrogen inputs, supporting the lake's ecological health and recreational uses.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located at 4302 Cleveland Road East in Ruggles Beach, Erie County, Ohio, United States, near the southern shore of Lake Erie.
The plant serves approximately 2,700 residents in the Ruggles Beach area and surrounding communities in Erie County.
The plant uses advanced treatment processes to clean wastewater before discharging the effluent into the Lake Erie basin, contributing to the Great Lakes watershed.
As a U.S. facility, the plant operates under the Clean Water Act and is regulated by an NPDES permit issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality.
For small communities in Ohio, advanced treatment is often required to meet NPDES permit limits, especially when discharging into sensitive waters like Lake Erie, to control nutrients and protect against algal blooms.
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