ANSLEY WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Ansley, Nebraska

ANSLEY WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on North Division Street in Ansley, Nebraska, within Custer County. The plant serves a small population of 520 residents, reflecting the rural character of the community. It operates as a secondary treatment facility, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for most municipal plants to reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids. Under the US regulatory framework, the plant is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. These permits set effluent limits to protect water quality. The plant's designed capacity is 227.12 thousand cubic meters per year, and its actual discharge volume is 227.13 thousand cubic meters, indicating near-full utilization of its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Platte River basin, a major tributary of the Missouri River. The Platte River system supports diverse aquatic life and provides critical habitat for migratory birds along the Central Flyway. The plant's operations help maintain water quality in this ecologically important watershed.

The plant discharges into a receiving water body within the Platte River basin, which flows eastward to join the Missouri River near Plattsmouth, Nebraska. The Missouri River then continues to the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Platte River is a shallow, braided river that supports a unique ecosystem, including sandhill crane staging areas and endangered species like the interior least tern. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting downstream water quality in this sensitive riverine environment.