Riverhead T Community College WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Town of Riverhead, New York

Riverhead T Community College WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 20 Old Moriches Riverhead Road in the Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York. The plant serves a small population of 550 and operates with secondary treatment, meeting standard requirements for its scale. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 132.49 volume units and discharges a similar volume. Under the US Clean Water Act, such facilities are regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) means its discharge may influence local estuarine or marine environments. The treated effluent likely enters a tributary of the Peconic River or directly into the Peconic Bay system, which drains to the Atlantic Ocean. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional water quality.

The plant's discharge likely flows into the Peconic River watershed, which empties into the Peconic Bay and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. This coastal region supports ecologically sensitive habitats, including tidal wetlands and shellfish beds, that depend on good water quality. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, but its coastal location requires careful management to protect downstream ecosystems.