Preston WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Tanyard, Maryland

Preston WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Tanyard, Caroline County, Maryland. The plant serves a small community of 719 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges. As a secondary treatment plant, it uses biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids from wastewater before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 567.81 million gallons per year and currently discharges 121.13 million gallons annually, indicating it operates well below its capacity. The plant's effluent is discharged into nearby streams that flow into the Choptank River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is a large estuary that supports diverse aquatic life, including oysters, crabs, and fish. The plant's discharge contributes to the nutrient and pollutant load in the watershed, making its treatment level important for protecting downstream water quality.

The plant discharges into local streams that drain into the Choptank River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is a large estuary that supports diverse aquatic life, including commercially important species such as blue crabs and striped bass. Nutrient pollution from wastewater can contribute to algal blooms and hypoxia in the bay, so secondary treatment helps reduce these impacts.