Westport T SD1 STP and On Sites - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Town of Westport, New York

Westport T SD1 STP and On Sites is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 62 Old Arsenal Road in the Town of Westport, Essex County, New York. The plant serves a population of approximately 830 residents and operates with a secondary treatment process, discharging an average of 378.54 cubic meters per day of treated effluent. Its designed capacity is 454.25 cubic meters per day, indicating operational headroom. As a secondary treatment plant in the United States, this facility operates under the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Secondary treatment is the minimum standard for municipal wastewater plants under federal regulations, ensuring removal of at least 85% of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. The plant is located within 10 kilometers of the Lake Champlain shoreline, a large freshwater lake that drains northward via the Richelieu River into the St. Lawrence River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. The treated effluent likely discharges into a tributary or directly into Lake Champlain, which is an ecologically sensitive waterbody supporting diverse aquatic life and recreational uses.

The plant's discharge enters the Lake Champlain basin, a major freshwater resource that flows into the Richelieu River and then the St. Lawrence River. Lake Champlain is a critical habitat for fish species such as lake trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon, and its watershed supports diverse wildlife. The plant's proximity to the lake underscores the importance of maintaining secondary treatment standards to protect water quality and prevent nutrient enrichment.