Amazonia WWTP - Secondary Treatment Facility in Andrew County, Missouri

Amazonia WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Andrew County, Missouri, serving a small population of 312 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for most municipal facilities to protect water quality. The plant has a designed capacity of 105.99 million gallons per year and discharges approximately 94.64 million gallons annually. As a small facility, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to safeguard receiving waters. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Missouri River watershed. The Missouri River flows eastward to join the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This downstream connection means the plant's discharge contributes to the overall health of the Mississippi River Basin, a critical ecological and economic resource.

The plant's discharge enters a tributary of the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish and birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf.