Alexandria WWTP - Secondary Treatment Facility in Smith County, Tennessee

Alexandria WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Smith County, Tennessee, within the Middle Tennessee region. The facility serves a small population of 858 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids before discharge. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges. For small communities like this, secondary treatment is the standard requirement, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The plant has a designed capacity of 567.81 thousand gallons per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 215.77 thousand gallons per day. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that flow into the Cumberland River basin, which ultimately drains to the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's operation helps protect water quality in this ecologically important region.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Cumberland River, which flows through Tennessee and Kentucky before joining the Ohio River. The Cumberland River basin supports a variety of fish species and provides habitat for freshwater mussels. Downstream, the Ohio River feeds into the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and protects aquatic ecosystems in this interconnected watershed.