Amity WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Amity, Arkansas

Amity WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Amity, Arkansas, United States. It serves a small population of 450 residents in this rural community within Clark County. The plant operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal facilities discharging to surface waters. As a small-scale plant, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting administered by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment. The plant's designed capacity is 567.81 thousand cubic meters, with an actual discharge volume of 533.74 thousand cubic meters, indicating it operates below its designed capacity. The treatment process is secondary, which typically involves biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway, contributing to the watershed of the Ouachita River basin. The Ouachita River flows south through Arkansas and Louisiana, eventually reaching the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help protect downstream aquatic ecosystems by reducing pollutant loads in the receiving waters.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Ouachita River, which flows through the Ouachita Mountains and into the Mississippi River basin. The Ouachita River supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as bass and catfish, and provides habitat for freshwater mussels. Downstream, the river contributes to the Mississippi River's nutrient load, which affects the Gulf of Mexico's hypoxic zone. The plant's secondary treatment helps mitigate local water quality impacts in this ecologically sensitive region.