Lakewood Wastewater Auth - Advanced Treatment Plant in Odessa Township, Michigan

Lakewood Wastewater Auth is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Odessa Township, Ionia County, Michigan. Serving a population of approximately 2,587, the plant provides advanced treatment for the local community, ensuring compliance with state and federal water quality standards. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 757.08 million gallons and an annual discharge volume of 681.37 million gallons, it operates at a high utilization rate. As a US facility, it is regulated under the Clean Water Act through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Great Lakes basin, a critical freshwater ecosystem. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality, supporting aquatic life and recreational uses in the region.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Grand River, which flows into Lake Michigan, part of the Great Lakes system. This watershed supports diverse aquatic species and provides drinking water for millions. The advanced treatment reduces nutrient loading, helping to prevent eutrophication and harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes.