Dawn Lakes RSD Wastewater Treatment Plant, The Village, Indiana

Dawn Lakes RSD is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in The Village, Huntington County, Indiana. The plant serves a small population of 135 residents, reflecting its role as a decentralized system for a rural community. It operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment as the minimum standard for publicly owned treatment works. The plant provides secondary treatment, a biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 68.14 million gallons per day, the facility is sized to handle the wastewater generated by its service area. The plant's discharge volume matches its capacity, indicating consistent operation. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that are part of the Wabash River watershed, which ultimately flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality and aquatic habitats in this inland basin.

The plant discharges into local tributaries of the Wabash River, a major waterway in Indiana that drains into the Ohio River. The Wabash River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor. Downstream, the Ohio River flows into the Mississippi River, which reaches the Gulf of Mexico, where nutrient loading can contribute to hypoxic zones. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants and helps mitigate these impacts.