BURNS WWTP - Marion County, Kansas Wastewater Treatment Plant

BURNS WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Marion County, Kansas, within the United States. The plant serves a small community with a population equivalent of 268, reflecting its role in managing local domestic wastewater. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all point source discharges. For small facilities like this, permits typically include effluent limits for biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and other parameters. The designed capacity is 56.78 million gallons per day, matching the current discharge volume, indicating the plant is operating at full capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into a receiving water body within the Kansas River basin, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's location inland, far from the coast, reduces direct marine impact but still contributes to the overall water quality of the regional watershed. The surrounding area is primarily rural and agricultural, so the plant helps protect local streams from nutrient pollution.

The plant discharges into a local waterway within the Kansas River basin, which flows into the Missouri River and then the Mississippi River, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional agriculture. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could contribute to downstream hypoxia in the Gulf.