Overview
Ballinger WWTP serves approximately 4,300 residents in Ballinger, Texas. The plant operates under U.S. Clean Water Act regulations, ensuring treated wastewater meets state and federal standards before discharge.
Ballinger WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Ballinger, Texas, serving a population of about 4,300. The plant is situated in Runnels County and is part of the city's infrastructure for managing domestic wastewater. As a small to medium-sized facility, it plays a key role in protecting local water quality. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, wastewater treatment plants of this scale are typically required to provide secondary treatment as a minimum. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), governs discharge limits and monitoring requirements. The plant's treatment processes are designed to meet these regulatory standards, ensuring compliance with effluent guidelines. The treated effluent from Ballinger WWTP is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately drains into the Colorado River basin, which flows through central Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. This connection underscores the plant's role in safeguarding downstream aquatic ecosystems and supporting regional water quality objectives.
Environmental context
Ballinger WWTP discharges into a local waterway that is part of the Colorado River basin in Texas. The Colorado River flows southeast through the Hill Country and coastal plains before emptying into Matagorda Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river supports diverse aquatic life and provides habitat for fish and migratory birds. The plant's operations help maintain water quality in this ecologically important watershed, which is subject to seasonal variations in flow and periodic drought conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Ballinger WWTP is located on South 5th Street in Ballinger, Runnels County, Texas, United States.
The plant serves approximately 4,300 residents in the city of Ballinger and surrounding areas.
The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that is part of the Colorado River basin, which ultimately flows to the Gulf of Mexico.
The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, with discharge permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) through the NPDES program.
For a plant of this size in Texas, secondary treatment is typically required under the Clean Water Act, which includes biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids.
Nearby plants