Craigsville WWTP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Camden on Gauley, West Virginia

Craigsville WWTP is an advanced wastewater treatment plant located in Camden on Gauley, Webster County, West Virginia. The facility serves a population of approximately 2,364 residents, providing essential sanitation services to this rural Appalachian community. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 1,112.91 thousand gallons per day and an actual discharge volume of 264.98 thousand gallons per day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act, with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. The treated effluent is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately drains into the Gauley River, a tributary of the Kanawha River, which flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this ecologically sensitive region, which supports diverse aquatic life and recreational activities.

The plant discharges into a local stream that feeds into the Gauley River, part of the Ohio River basin. This watershed supports diverse aquatic species and is a popular destination for whitewater rafting and fishing. The advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality in the Kanawha River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico, reducing nutrient loading that can cause algal blooms.