Lower Lackawanna Vly STP - Duryea, Pennsylvania Wastewater Treatment Plant

Lower Lackawanna Vly STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located at 145 Coxton Road in Duryea, Pennsylvania, serving an estimated population of 69,261. The facility is situated in Luzerne County and plays a key role in managing wastewater for the surrounding community. As a medium-to-large agglomeration under U. S. regulatory frameworks, the plant is subject to the Clean Water Act and operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Facilities of this scale in Pennsylvania typically employ secondary or advanced treatment to meet state and federal water quality standards. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's NPDES program requires permits that set effluent limits based on the receiving water's assimilative capacity and designated uses. The plant's treated effluent discharges into the Lackawanna River, which flows southward to join the Susquehanna River near Pittston. The Susquehanna River ultimately drains into the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. This connection underscores the plant's role in protecting downstream water quality and the ecological health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The plant discharges into the Lackawanna River, a tributary of the Susquehanna River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is a critical estuarine ecosystem supporting diverse aquatic life, including blue crabs, oysters, and migratory fish. Nutrient and sediment loads from upstream sources can impact bay health, making effective wastewater treatment important for maintaining water quality in this sensitive watershed.