Bastian WWTP and Collection System - Hicksville, Virginia Wastewater Treatment

The Bastian WWTP and Collection System is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Hicksville, Bland County, Virginia, United States. It serves a small population of approximately 400 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. The plant is situated along State Route 642 in the Appalachian region of southwestern Virginia. The facility provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater plants. With a designed capacity of 757.08 cubic meters per day and an actual discharge volume of 378.54 cubic meters per day, the plant operates at roughly half its capacity. As a small-scale facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway within the New River watershed, which ultimately drains into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River system. The plant's operations help protect downstream aquatic habitats and maintain water quality in this ecologically diverse region, which supports various freshwater species and recreational uses.

The Bastian WWTP discharges into a tributary of the New River, which flows through the Appalachian Mountains into the Ohio River and eventually the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. The watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including several species of freshwater mussels and fish. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollutant loads, protecting downstream ecosystems in this rural, forested region.