DANVILLE STP and CS - Danville, Kentucky Wastewater Treatment Plant

DANVILLE STP and CS is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Lancaster Road in Danville, Boyle County, Kentucky. The plant serves a population of roughly 20,577 residents, placing it in the medium-agglomeration category under U.S. regulatory frameworks. As part of Kentucky's wastewater infrastructure, it plays a key role in managing domestic sewage from the Danville urban area. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, municipal wastewater treatment plants of this scale are typically required to meet secondary treatment standards through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. These permits set effluent limits for biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and other parameters to protect water quality. Standard practice for facilities serving around 20,000 people involves biological treatment followed by disinfection. The treated effluent from DANVILLE STP and CS is discharged to a receiving water body that ultimately drains into the Kentucky River, a major tributary of the Ohio River. The Kentucky River watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's operations are subject to state and federal regulations aimed at minimizing nutrient loading and protecting the ecological health of the river system.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Kentucky River, which flows northward to join the Ohio River near Carrollton. The Kentucky River basin is ecologically significant, supporting species such as the endangered Kentucky arrow darter and providing habitat for migratory birds. Downstream, the Ohio River feeds into the Mississippi River system, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrient management is a key concern in this watershed due to contributions to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.