Donaldson WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Donaldson, Arkansas

Donaldson WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Donaldson, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The plant serves a small population of 301 residents, providing essential sanitation services to this rural community in the southern United States. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 389.90 thousand gallons per day and a current discharge volume of 143.85 thousand gallons per day, the plant has capacity to accommodate future growth. US facilities of this scale are regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment. The treated effluent from Donaldson WWTP is discharged into local streams that ultimately flow into the Ouachita River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River system. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in the Ouachita River basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides recreational opportunities for the region.

The plant discharges into the Ouachita River basin, which drains into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Ouachita River supports a variety of fish species and provides habitat for freshwater mussels. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive watershed.