Maple Rapids WWTP - Secondary Treatment Facility in Michigan

Maple Rapids WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Maple Rapids, Michigan, United States. The plant serves a small population of 602 residents in this rural community within Clinton County. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 405.04 thousand cubic meters per year, the plant operates at approximately 65% of its capacity based on the reported discharge volume of 264.98 thousand cubic meters annually. As a US facility, it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent from Maple Rapids WWTP is discharged into the Maple River, a tributary of the Grand River, which flows into Lake Michigan. This discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the Great Lakes basin, a critical freshwater resource. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, protecting aquatic life in the receiving waters.

The Maple Rapids WWTP discharges into the Maple River, which flows into the Grand River and ultimately reaches Lake Michigan, part of the Great Lakes system. This watershed supports diverse aquatic habitats and is important for regional biodiversity. The plant's secondary treatment helps mitigate nutrient loading and protect downstream ecosystems, including fish spawning areas and wetlands along the Grand River.