ATKINSON WWTP - Atkinson, Nebraska Wastewater Treatment Plant

ATKINSON WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Holt Street in Atkinson, Holt County, Nebraska. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,380 residents, making it a small-scale facility typical of rural communities in the Great Plains region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 529.96 and an average discharge volume of 492.10, the facility operates at a high utilization rate. As a US facility, it operates under an EPA NPDES permit issued by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, ensuring compliance with effluent limits. The treated effluent is discharged to a local water body, likely a tributary of the Elkhorn River, which flows into the Platte River and ultimately the Missouri River and Mississippi River system. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and recreation in the region.

The plant discharges into a local water body that drains into the Elkhorn River, a tributary of the Platte River. The Platte River system is a critical migratory corridor for sandhill cranes and other waterfowl, and supports diverse aquatic species. Downstream, the Missouri River and Mississippi River carry the flow to the Gulf of Mexico, making nutrient management important for preventing hypoxia in the Gulf.