Courtland WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Courtland, Kansas

Courtland WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Courtland, Kansas, serving a small population of 313. The facility operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for all publicly owned treatment works. As a small agglomeration, it is subject to EPA NPDES permitting administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The plant provides secondary treatment, which typically involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 196.84 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 117.35 million gallons per year, the plant operates at approximately 60% capacity. This indicates adequate capacity for current demand. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Kansas River basin, part of the larger Mississippi River watershed. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality and downstream ecosystems in the Great Plains region.

Courtland WWTP discharges into a tributary of the Republican River, which flows into the Kansas River and eventually the Mississippi River. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect the local watershed from nutrient pollution and pathogens, supporting aquatic life in the prairie streams. The region's agricultural landscape makes proper wastewater treatment essential for maintaining water quality in downstream reservoirs and rivers.