Interlaken V STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Town of Covert, New York

Interlaken V STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in the Town of Covert, Seneca County, New York. The plant serves a small population of 872 residents in the Village of Interlaken and surrounding areas, operating as part of the region's public sanitation infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for facilities of this scale. With a designed capacity of 378.54 cubic meters per day and a current discharge volume of 189.27 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well within its capacity. As a U.S. facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which sets effluent limits to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from Interlaken V STP ultimately drains into the Seneca Lake watershed, part of the larger Finger Lakes basin. Seneca Lake is a major freshwater resource supporting recreation, fisheries, and drinking water supplies. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and protect the lake's ecological health.

The plant discharges into the Seneca Lake watershed, which flows northward into the Seneca River and eventually into Lake Ontario. Seneca Lake is a deep, oligotrophic lake known for its clear water and cold-water fishery, including lake trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon. The plant's secondary treatment helps control phosphorus and nitrogen inputs, which is critical for preventing algal blooms and maintaining water quality in this sensitive freshwater ecosystem.