Overview
Rockwood Boro STP is a secondary treatment plant in Black Township, Pennsylvania, serving 954 people. It discharges treated wastewater into the local watershed, contributing to the Casselman River basin.
Rockwood Boro STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Black Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The facility serves a small population of 954 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet state and federal water quality standards. As a publicly owned treatment works, it operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The plant has a designed capacity of 605.66 volume units and a discharge volume of 605.67, indicating near-full utilization. Secondary treatment is the standard for small communities in the US, typically involving biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's performance is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, which set effluent limits to protect receiving waters. Treated effluent from Rockwood Boro STP likely discharges into a tributary of the Casselman River, which flows into the Youghiogheny River, part of the Monongahela River basin. This watershed ultimately drains into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing water resources for downstream communities.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters a small stream within the Casselman River watershed, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River. This river system flows through the Appalachian region, supporting coldwater fisheries and recreational activities. The Casselman River is known for its scenic value and is part of the larger Mississippi River basin, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality and aquatic habitats.
Frequently asked questions
Rockwood Boro STP is located in Black Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, near the Great Allegheny Passage in the United States.
The plant serves a population of 954 residents in the Rockwood area and surrounding communities.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local stream within the Casselman River watershed, which flows into the Youghiogheny River and ultimately the Mississippi River basin.
As a US facility, Rockwood Boro STP operates under the Clean Water Act, requiring an NPDES permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to regulate its discharges.
Small US plants serving about 1,000 people typically provide secondary treatment, which uses biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting EPA standards for such communities.
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