Wolcott V STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Village of Wolcott, New York

Wolcott V STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in the Village of Wolcott, Wayne County, New York. Serving a population of approximately 1,712 residents, the plant provides secondary treatment to manage domestic wastewater from the community. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal facilities of this scale. With a designed capacity of 946.35 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 783.58 thousand gallons per day, the plant maintains a utilization rate within typical operational ranges. Compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits ensures that effluent meets water quality standards. The treated wastewater is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately flows into Lake Ontario, part of the Great Lakes system. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions. The plant's coastal location within 10 km of Lake Ontario underscores the importance of effective nutrient removal to prevent eutrophication and protect the lake's ecological health.

The plant discharges into a tributary of Lake Ontario, the easternmost Great Lake, which drains via the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. Lake Ontario supports a complex food web including native fish species and migratory birds. The coastal proximity heightens the need for robust treatment to minimize nutrient loading, which can fuel algal blooms and degrade water quality in this ecologically sensitive freshwater system.