Ottawa Co Portage_Catawba WWTP: Serving Ottawa County, Ohio Under Clean Water Act

Ottawa Co Portage_Catawba WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Ottawa County, Ohio, serving a population of about 44,374. The plant is situated on Catawba Island Township, near the shores of Lake Erie, and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act. As a medium-sized agglomeration, the plant is expected to provide at least secondary treatment under EPA NPDES permits. The designed capacity is 1.00 million gallons per day, indicating the plant's scale. Typical facilities in this region employ activated sludge or similar biological treatment. The plant's treated effluent ultimately reaches Lake Erie, part of the Great Lakes system, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions. The Lake Erie watershed is ecologically sensitive, with concerns about nutrient loading and algal blooms, making effective wastewater treatment critical for water quality.

The plant discharges into the Lake Erie basin, which drains into the Great Lakes system and eventually the St. Lawrence River and Atlantic Ocean. Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes and is particularly susceptible to nutrient pollution, which can cause harmful algal blooms. The surrounding watershed includes agricultural and residential areas, contributing to runoff concerns.