Philmont V STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Town of Ghent, New York

Philmont V STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in the Town of Ghent, Columbia County, New York. The plant serves a population of 1,480 and operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges to surface waters. The plant has a designed capacity of 946.35 thousand cubic meters per year and currently treats an average annual discharge volume of 465.61 thousand cubic meters. As a secondary treatment facility, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the national effluent guidelines for secondary treatment. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that is part of the Hudson River watershed. The Hudson River and its tributaries support diverse aquatic life and provide critical habitat for migratory fish species. The plant's location inland, over 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Hudson River, which flows south to New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. The Hudson River estuary supports a rich ecosystem, including striped bass, American shad, and Atlantic sturgeon. The watershed is ecologically sensitive, with extensive wetlands and floodplains that provide natural water filtration and wildlife habitat.