Spring Grove Boro Auth Wastewater Treatment Plant, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania

The Spring Grove Boro Auth wastewater treatment plant is located in Spring Grove, York County, Pennsylvania, serving a population of approximately 5,162 residents. The facility provides secondary treatment, a standard level for municipal wastewater in the United States under the Clean Water Act. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,271.24 megaliters per year and currently treats an average daily flow of 984.21 megaliters per year. As a publicly owned treatment works (POTW), it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated wastewater is discharged into a local stream that flows into the Susquehanna River, ultimately reaching the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse aquatic life and important migratory bird populations. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads to the bay.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Susquehanna River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is a large estuary that supports diverse aquatic life, including blue crabs, oysters, and striped bass, and is an important migratory corridor for birds. Nutrient pollution from wastewater is a key concern for the bay's health, and secondary treatment helps mitigate this impact.