Troy Township Wastewater District - Secondary Treatment Plant in Ashland County, Ohio

Troy Township Wastewater District is a municipal treatment facility located in Ashland County, Ohio, serving a small community of 316 residents. The plant is situated in a rural area of the state, reflecting the decentralized wastewater management typical of smaller agglomerations in the United States. The facility provides secondary treatment, which is the standard minimum for municipal wastewater under the US Clean Water Act. With a designed capacity of 170.34 megaliters and an annual discharge volume of 113.56 megaliters, the plant operates within its capacity. As a small publicly owned treatment works (POTW), it is subject to EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Lake Erie basin, part of the Great Lakes system. This region supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pathogen loads, contributing to the ecological health of downstream waters.

The plant's discharge enters tributaries of the Lake Erie watershed, which ultimately flows into the Great Lakes. Lake Erie is a vital freshwater resource supporting fisheries, recreation, and municipal water supplies. The region is sensitive to nutrient pollution, which can cause harmful algal blooms. Secondary treatment at this plant helps mitigate such impacts by reducing biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids.