Cave Springs WPCP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Cave Spring, Georgia

Cave Springs WPCP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Cave Spring, Floyd County, Georgia. The plant serves a small population of 883 residents, operating under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal plants discharging to surface waters. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 832.79 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 643.52 million gallons per year, the facility operates below its capacity. As a US plant, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Coosa River basin, part of the larger Mobile River system that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and maintaining water quality in the region's rivers and streams.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Coosa River, which flows through northwestern Georgia and Alabama before joining the Mobile River and emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. The Coosa River basin supports diverse aquatic life, including several species of freshwater mussels and fish. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality and ecological health.