Birdseye WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Dubois County, Indiana

Birdseye WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Dubois County, Indiana, serving a small community of approximately 465 residents. The facility is situated on County Road 570 South and operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which governs wastewater discharges through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level required for most municipal facilities in the U.S. to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The designed capacity is 302.83 million gallons per year, matching the reported discharge volume, indicating the plant operates at full capacity. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes such as activated sludge or trickling filters. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that drain into the Patoka River watershed, which flows into the Wabash River and ultimately the Ohio River and Mississippi River system. This waterway supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water and recreational opportunities for downstream communities. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this rural agricultural region.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Patoka River, part of the larger Wabash River basin. This watershed supports a variety of fish and wildlife, including species of conservation concern. The Wabash River flows into the Ohio River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading that could contribute to algal blooms in downstream waters.