Mount Dora WWTP 1 - Tavares, Florida Wastewater Treatment Plant

Mount Dora WWTP 1 is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 28550 Tammi Drive in Tavares, Florida, within Lake County. The plant serves a population of approximately 12,500 residents, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category under US regulatory frameworks. As a US facility, Mount Dora WWTP 1 operates under the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits and monitoring requirements. For plants of this scale serving a community in central Florida, secondary treatment is typically required to meet water quality standards before discharge. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Ocklawaha River and then the St. Johns River, a major waterway flowing north to the Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding Lake County area features numerous lakes and wetlands that support diverse aquatic life and provide important habitat for fish and bird species.

Mount Dora WWTP 1 discharges into the Ocklawaha River basin, which flows into the St. Johns River and eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville. The St. Johns River is a nutrient-sensitive waterbody where excess nitrogen and phosphorus can contribute to algal blooms. The plant's discharge must comply with state and federal limits to protect downstream aquatic ecosystems, including fish spawning grounds and wetland habitats that support migratory birds.