In Medford, as in most cities, a large percentage of used water moves from homes, businesses, institutions and industries via a sanitary sewer system to a central point, the wastewater treatment facility. The purpose of the wastewater treatment facility is to remove the waste from the water prior to discharging the flow into the Black River. In essence, we must purify the wastewater to protect the waterways for public and private uses downstream of the facility.

The Medford Wastewater Treatment plant is rated to treat up to 1.45 million gallons per day (mgd).  Due to successful infiltration and inflow reductions, average of flows are about 600,000 mgd, while serving a population of nearly 4,400. Approximately 27% of the flow originates from industrial sources. The wastewater treatment plant does an exceptional job of pollutant removal, consistently removing more than 99% of the biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, and ammonia from the incoming wastewater. Major treatment processes include preliminary treatment, activated sludge biological treatment, final clarification, tertiary filtration, seasonal chlorination and dechlorination, and cascade aeration prior to discharge to the Black River. Sludge is aerobically digested, dewatered in a belt press, and land applied.

In 1938 the original plant was built with a major renovation in 1988. In 1990 a chlorination and dechlorination building was added and in 1999 ferric chloride phosphorus removal was added.  In 2021 the plant completed upgrades to its solids handling.

In 2019, the plant achieved an ultra-low level phosphorus designation and in 2022 was named the Facility of the Year (read the article here).