CLAYTON WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Clayton, Illinois

CLAYTON WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Clayton, Illinois, a small community in Adams County. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,085 residents, providing secondary treatment to manage domestic wastewater from the area. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires NPDES permits for all discharges. For a facility of this scale, secondary treatment is the standard, ensuring that effluent meets federal water quality standards before release. The plant has a designed capacity of 378.54 cubic meters per day and currently discharges 302.83 cubic meters daily. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Mississippi River basin. This downstream connection highlights the plant's role in protecting water quality in the broader Mississippi River system, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Mississippi River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River basin is a major ecological corridor, supporting diverse fish and bird species. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf.