Johnson WPC Wastewater Treatment Plant, Waterville, Vermont

Johnson WPC is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 211 Bacon Road in Waterville, Vermont. The plant serves a population of about 3,874 residents in the Lamoille County area, operating under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 1,022.06 million gallons per day and a current discharge volume of 564.03 million gallons per day, the facility operates well within its capacity. As a US plant, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. The treated wastewater is discharged into a receiving water body that flows into the Lamoille River and eventually into Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain is a large freshwater lake that supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for many communities. The advanced treatment helps protect this sensitive ecosystem from nutrient pollution.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Lamoille River, which flows into Lake Champlain, a major freshwater lake in the Northeast. Lake Champlain is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse fish populations and migratory birds. Advanced treatment at Johnson WPC helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical to preventing algal blooms and maintaining water quality in the lake.