PITTSFORD TWP WWSL - Jefferson Township, Michigan Wastewater Treatment Plant

PITTSFORD TWP WWSL is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Jefferson Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan. The plant serves a small population of 1,600 residents, providing secondary treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids from domestic wastewater. The plant operates under the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal facilities of this scale. With a designed capacity of 681.37 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 605.67 thousand gallons per day, the plant operates at approximately 89% capacity utilization. The treatment process meets national effluent guidelines for biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged to local streams that drain into the St. Joseph River watershed, ultimately flowing to Lake Michigan. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality in this agriculturally intensive region of southern Michigan, supporting aquatic habitats and recreational uses.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the St. Joseph River, which flows through Michigan and Indiana before entering Lake Michigan at Benton Harbor. The St. Joseph River watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including sport fish species and migratory waterfowl. The region's agricultural land use makes effective nutrient removal critical to prevent algal blooms in the Great Lakes ecosystem.