Manistee STP - Manistee, Michigan Wastewater Treatment Plant

Manistee STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Manistee, Michigan, serving a population of about 7,800. The plant is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, within the Manistee River watershed. As a publicly owned treatment works, it plays a key role in protecting local water quality. The plant has a designed capacity of 1.00 million gallons per day. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, facilities of this scale are typically required to meet secondary treatment standards through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) oversees permitting and compliance for the state. Treated effluent from Manistee STP ultimately reaches Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes that hold 21% of the world's surface freshwater. The plant's operations help safeguard the lake's water quality for drinking water, recreation, and aquatic life, including native fish species such as lake trout and whitefish.

Manistee STP discharges into the Manistee River, which flows westward into Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan supports a diverse aquatic ecosystem, including critical fish spawning habitats and migratory bird routes. The plant's treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and pathogen inputs, protecting the lake's oligotrophic conditions and recreational uses.