Cottonwood Falls WWTP - Kansas Wastewater Treatment Plant

Cottonwood Falls WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, serving a small population of 888 residents. The plant is situated in the Flint Hills region of the Great Plains, an area known for its tallgrass prairie and agricultural activity. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 454.25 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 340.69 million gallons per year, the facility operates below its capacity, indicating room for growth or seasonal variability. The treated effluent is discharged into the Cottonwood River, a tributary of the Neosho River, which flows into the Arkansas River and ultimately reaches the Mississippi River Basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality in the prairie stream ecosystem, which supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional agriculture and recreation.

The plant discharges into the Cottonwood River, which flows into the Neosho River, then the Arkansas River, and eventually the Mississippi River. The receiving waters support a variety of fish and macroinvertebrate species typical of Great Plains streams. The watershed is predominantly agricultural, so nutrient management is important to prevent eutrophication downstream.