ATWOOD WWTP - Rawlins County, Kansas Wastewater Treatment Plant

ATWOOD WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Rawlins County, Kansas, United States. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,279 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges to surface waters. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 757.08 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 492.10 m³/day, the facility operates below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The plant's discharge is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that is part of the Republican River basin, which ultimately flows into the Kansas River and then the Missouri River. This watershed supports agricultural irrigation and provides habitat for fish and wildlife. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this semi-arid region.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Republican River, which flows through the High Plains region of Kansas and Nebraska. The Republican River basin is an important agricultural water source and supports diverse aquatic life, including several fish species. Downstream, the river joins the Kansas River and eventually the Missouri River, contributing to the Mississippi River watershed. The region's semi-arid climate makes water quality management critical for maintaining ecosystem health and agricultural productivity.