ALBRIGHT WWTP - Ruthbelle, West Virginia Wastewater Treatment Plant

ALBRIGHT WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility serving the small community of Ruthbelle in Preston County, West Virginia. With a population served of 258, the plant is classified as a very small agglomeration under U.S. regulatory frameworks. The facility operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment as the minimum standard for municipal wastewater plants. The plant has a designed capacity of 113.56 megaliters per year and currently treats approximately 37.85 megaliters annually, indicating significant spare capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, it uses biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the national effluent guidelines for small communities. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Cheat River watershed, part of the larger Monongahela River basin. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is important for recreational fishing and water quality in the Appalachian region.

The plant's discharge enters streams that flow into the Cheat River, a major tributary of the Monongahela River, which ultimately joins the Ohio River and Mississippi River system. The Cheat River watershed is ecologically sensitive, supporting native fish species and providing habitat for freshwater mussels. The secondary treatment process helps protect downstream water quality in this mountainous region.