Westerly WWTF - Wastewater Treatment Plant in Westerly, Rhode Island

Westerly WWTF is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Westerly, Rhode Island, United States. It serves a population of approximately 14,950 residents, making it a medium-sized plant for the region. The plant is situated on Margin Street in the South County area, near the Pawcatuck River watershed. As a US facility, Westerly WWTF operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. For a plant serving this population, secondary treatment is typically required, with possible additional nutrient removal to address coastal water quality concerns. The designed capacity is 1.00 million gallons per day, indicating the plant's scale. The plant's treated effluent likely discharges into the Pawcatuck River or a tributary, which flows into Little Narragansett Bay and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. This coastal discharge makes the plant important for protecting downstream estuaries and marine habitats from nutrient pollution and other contaminants.

The plant's discharge enters the Pawcatuck River system, which drains into Little Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This coastal watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish, shellfish, and migratory birds. Nutrient loading from wastewater can contribute to algal blooms and hypoxia in the bay, making effective treatment critical for maintaining ecological balance.