Cherryville WWTP - White Pines, North Carolina Wastewater Treatment Plant

Cherryville WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Tot Dellinger Road in White Pines, Gaston County, North Carolina. It serves a population of about 5,425 residents, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category typical of rural communities in the Piedmont region. The plant is part of the broader wastewater infrastructure managed by local authorities to protect public health and water quality. As a US-based facility, Cherryville WWTP operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, established by the Clean Water Act. Plants serving populations of this scale commonly employ secondary treatment, which includes biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids. The NPDES permit sets effluent limits to ensure compliance with state and federal water quality standards. The treated effluent from Cherryville WWTP discharges into a receiving water body within the Catawba River basin, which ultimately flows into the Atlantic Ocean via the Santee River system. The plant plays a key role in maintaining water quality in local streams and rivers, supporting aquatic life and downstream ecosystems in the region.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Catawba River, which flows through the Piedmont region of North Carolina and South Carolina before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Catawba River basin supports diverse aquatic habitats, including fish species such as striped bass and catfish, and provides drinking water for millions of people. The plant's discharge must meet state water quality standards to protect these downstream uses.