Centerburg WWTP and Sewer System - Advanced Treatment Facility in Ohio

The Centerburg WWTP and Sewer System is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Centerburg, Ohio, within Knox County. Serving a population of approximately 1,432 residents, the plant provides advanced treatment to protect local water quality. As a small-scale facility, it plays a vital role in managing wastewater for this rural community. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 1,135.62 thousand cubic meters per year and an actual discharge volume of 643.52 thousand cubic meters, the facility operates well within its capacity. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, such plants are regulated through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, which set effluent limits to safeguard receiving waters. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Ohio River basin. The plant's advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and supporting the ecological health of the region. Its inland location minimizes direct coastal impacts, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the Mississippi River watershed.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Ohio River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Ohio River basin supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions. Advanced treatment at this plant helps control nutrient pollution, which is a key concern in the Mississippi River watershed due to its contribution to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. The facility's inland location reduces direct marine impacts, but its effluent quality is critical for maintaining the ecological balance of the receiving freshwater systems.