Phosophorus Removal in Ohio Wastewater Treatment Plants Within the Lake Erie Basin

Abstract

Eutrophication in the Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie, has caused the creation of regulations limiting the phosphorus that may be discharged by wastewater treatment plants to 1 mg P/L. Municipal plants in Ohio have made significant improvements in their ability to remove wastewater phosphorus during treatment. During 1980, the flow-weighted average concentration of phosphorus in wastewater discharges for the Ohio Great Lakes Basin was 1.57 mg P/L, based on data from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). When 11 more plants reach the goal of the regulations, the average will drop to 1.0 mg P/L. Achievement of this goal will make wastewater discharges a minor contribution (about 6%) of the total phosphorus entering Lake Erie.