Vieques WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico

Vieques WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, a municipality of the United States. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,291 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under US EPA guidelines. It operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard minimum for municipal wastewater in the United States under the Clean Water Act. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,892.70 thousand cubic meters per year and currently discharges 870.65 thousand cubic meters annually, indicating it operates below its design capacity. As a coastal facility within 10 km of the ocean, the plant's discharge is subject to stringent EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements to protect marine water quality. The treated effluent from Vieques WWTP is discharged into the coastal waters surrounding Vieques, which are part of the Caribbean Sea. The island's marine environment supports diverse coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove ecosystems, making proper wastewater treatment critical for preserving local biodiversity and water quality.

Vieques WWTP discharges into the coastal waters of the Caribbean Sea, which surround the island of Vieques. The nearshore marine environment includes ecologically sensitive coral reef systems and seagrass habitats that support diverse aquatic life. As a coastal plant, the facility must meet EPA effluent guidelines to minimize nutrient and pathogen impacts on these fragile ecosystems.