Nicholson Boro STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Nicholson Township, Pennsylvania

Nicholson Boro STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Nicholson Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,060 residents, classifying it as a small community system within the United States' decentralized wastewater infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal discharges to surface waters. With a designed capacity of 340.69 million gallons per year, the facility operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. This regulatory framework ensures that effluent limits protect water quality in the receiving stream. The treated effluent from Nicholson Boro STP discharges into a local waterway within the Susquehanna River basin, which ultimately flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is ecologically significant, supporting diverse aquatic life and serving as a critical habitat for migratory fish and waterfowl. Nutrient and sediment reductions from plants like Nicholson Boro contribute to the broader Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Susquehanna River, which flows south through Pennsylvania and Maryland before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and supports a complex ecosystem of oysters, blue crabs, and migratory birds. Nutrient pollution from wastewater treatment plants is a key concern in this watershed, and secondary treatment helps reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads to the bay.