Washburn STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washburn, Maine

Washburn STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Washburn, Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The plant serves a population of 1,144 and is part of the region's infrastructure for managing domestic wastewater in a rural, inland setting. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level required under the US Clean Water Act for municipal facilities. With a designed capacity of 1,071.27 thousand cubic meters and an annual discharge volume of 567.81 thousand cubic meters, it operates below its design capacity, indicating adequate headroom for current flows. As a US facility, it is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local receiving water body, which ultimately drains into the Aroostook River watershed and then into the Saint John River, flowing to the Bay of Fundy. This downstream connection highlights the plant's role in protecting aquatic habitats and water quality in a region known for its cold-water fisheries and diverse freshwater ecosystems.

The plant discharges into a local watercourse within the Aroostook River basin, which flows into the Saint John River and eventually reaches the Bay of Fundy. The watershed supports cold-water fish species such as brook trout and Atlantic salmon, making nutrient and pollutant control critical. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic load and suspended solids, mitigating impacts on downstream aquatic life.