Cunningham WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Cunningham, Kansas

Cunningham WWTP serves the small community of Cunningham in Kingman County, Kansas. The plant provides secondary treatment for a population of 508, reflecting its role in a rural agricultural region. As a municipal facility, it manages wastewater for the local area, with a designed capacity of 329.33 megaliters and an annual discharge volume of 189.27 megaliters. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, secondary treatment is the minimum standard for municipal wastewater plants, requiring removal of at least 85% of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. The plant's operations are likely regulated through a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent from Cunningham WWTP is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Arkansas River basin, ultimately flowing to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. This connection underscores the plant's role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and maintaining water quality in the region's agricultural landscape.

Cunningham WWTP discharges into local streams within the Arkansas River watershed, which flows through Kansas and Oklahoma before joining the Mississippi River and reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The surrounding area is primarily agricultural, with row crops and livestock operations. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting downstream water quality and supporting aquatic life in the prairie stream ecosystems.