Overview
DAMASCUS STP is a secondary treatment plant serving 1,354 people in Damascus, Virginia. It discharges treated wastewater into local waterways under U.S. EPA NPDES regulations.
DAMASCUS STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Damascus, Washington County, Virginia. It serves a small community of approximately 1,354 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet Clean Water Act standards. The plant is situated near the Virginia Creeper Trail in the Appalachian region. The plant operates with a designed capacity of 946.35 cubic meters per day and a discharge volume of 908.50 cubic meters per day, indicating near-capacity operation. As a secondary treatment facility, it meets the minimum federal requirement for municipal wastewater treatment in the United States, which includes biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that are part of the Tennessee River watershed, ultimately draining into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in the region's sensitive mountain streams, which support diverse aquatic life and recreational activities.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into headwater streams of the Tennessee River basin, which flows through the Appalachian Mountains before joining the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. These streams support cold-water fisheries and are important for regional biodiversity. The secondary treatment process helps reduce nutrient loading and protects downstream water quality in ecologically sensitive areas.
Frequently asked questions
DAMASCUS STP is located in Damascus, Washington County, Virginia, United States, near the Virginia Creeper Trail.
The plant serves a population of 1,354 people in the Damascus area.
The plant discharges treated effluent into local streams within the Tennessee River watershed, which ultimately flows to the Gulf of Mexico.
DAMASCUS STP provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater plants.
As a U.S. plant, DAMASCUS STP operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
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