Pemberville WWTP and Sewer System - Advanced Treatment Plant in Ohio

Pemberville WWTP and Sewer System is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Pemberville, Wood County, Ohio. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,365 residents, providing advanced treatment to protect public health and the environment. As a small-scale facility, it plays a vital role in managing wastewater for this rural community in northwestern Ohio. The plant operates with advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the U.S. Clean Water Act. With a designed capacity of 757.08 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 643.52 thousand gallons per day, the facility operates at about 85% capacity. Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), plants of this scale are typically permitted by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local receiving water body that drains into the Maumee River, a major tributary of Lake Erie. The Maumee River watershed is the largest in the Great Lakes basin and is ecologically significant for its role in supporting fish spawning and migratory bird habitats. By maintaining advanced treatment, the plant helps reduce nutrient loading into Lake Erie, which is critical for mitigating harmful algal blooms.

The plant discharges into a local stream that flows into the Maumee River, which empties into the western basin of Lake Erie. This region is part of the Lake Erie watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and is a vital resource for drinking water, recreation, and fisheries. The Maumee River is a major contributor of sediment and nutrients to Lake Erie, making advanced treatment at upstream plants important for controlling phosphorus and nitrogen loads that can fuel algal blooms.