Metamora WWTP and Sewer System - Secondary Treatment Plant in Metamora, Ohio

Metamora WWTP and Sewer System is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on SR 64 in Metamora, Fulton County, Ohio. The plant serves a small population of 598 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for all publicly owned treatment works. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 757.08 thousand cubic meters per year and an actual discharge volume of 435.32 thousand cubic meters, the facility operates below its capacity. As a small-scale plant in a rural setting, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting administered by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Maumee River basin, which flows into Lake Erie. The plant plays a role in protecting the water quality of the Lake Erie watershed, a vital freshwater resource that supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Maumee River, which flows into the western basin of Lake Erie. Lake Erie is a critical freshwater ecosystem that supports a diverse fish community and provides drinking water for millions. The Maumee River watershed is heavily agricultural, and nutrient loading from wastewater and runoff contributes to algal blooms in Lake Erie. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants, but nutrient removal may be limited without tertiary treatment.