Windber Area Ingleside STP - Ogle Township, Pennsylvania Wastewater Treatment Plant

Windber Area Ingleside STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Ogle Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The plant serves an estimated population of 17,805, placing it in the medium-agglomeration category for US wastewater infrastructure. As a US facility, the plant operates under the Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. For plants serving populations of this scale, secondary treatment is typically required, with nutrient removal standards applicable in sensitive watersheds. The plant discharges treated effluent into local waterways within the Susquehanna River basin, which ultimately drains to the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is subject to nutrient pollution reduction targets under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), making nutrient removal a key environmental consideration for plants in this region.

The plant's discharge enters tributaries of the Susquehanna River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. The Chesapeake Bay ecosystem supports diverse aquatic life, including blue crabs, oysters, and migratory fish, and is sensitive to nutrient loading from wastewater and agricultural runoff. The region's karst geology and agricultural land use further influence water quality management.