BOONEVILLE Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lerose, Kentucky

The BOONEVILLE wastewater treatment plant is located in Lerose, Owsley County, Kentucky, serving a small community of approximately 1,190 residents. The plant is situated in a rural area of eastern Kentucky, within the Appalachian region, and operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. Advanced treatment typically includes nutrient removal or other polishing steps to further reduce pollutants before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,135.62 thousand gallons per day and currently discharges an average of 969.07 thousand gallons per day, indicating it operates below its design capacity. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Kentucky River basin, which flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the water quality of these downstream waters, which support diverse aquatic life and are used for recreation and drinking water supply.

The BOONEVILLE plant discharges into a tributary of the Kentucky River, which flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect the ecologically sensitive Appalachian stream ecosystems, which support diverse aquatic species including various fish and macroinvertebrates. The Kentucky River basin is an important water resource for the region, providing drinking water and recreational opportunities.