Arkadelphia WWTP - Clark County, Arkansas Wastewater Treatment Plant

Arkadelphia WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Clark County, Arkansas, serving a population of about 10,714. The plant is situated inland, more than 50 kilometers from the coast, and operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges to surface waters. As a medium-sized agglomeration, the plant is expected to provide secondary treatment as a minimum standard. However, under the Clean Water Act, facilities of this scale are typically designed to meet secondary treatment standards, which include biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's discharge is regulated by an NPDES permit issued by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent from Arkadelphia WWTP is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately flows into the Ouachita River basin. The Ouachita River is a major tributary of the Red River, which drains into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality and supporting the ecological health of the downstream aquatic environment.

The plant discharges into a local waterway that is part of the Ouachita River basin, which flows through Arkansas and Louisiana before joining the Red River. The Ouachita River supports diverse aquatic life, including several species of fish and mussels, and provides habitat for migratory birds. The watershed is ecologically sensitive, with forested wetlands and floodplains that help filter pollutants and regulate water flow. Protecting water quality in this basin is important for maintaining the ecological integrity of the larger Mississippi River system and the Gulf of Mexico.