EL REY HEIGHTS SUBD Wastewater Treatment Plant, Columbia, Missouri

EL REY HEIGHTS SUBD is a small municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Columbia, Missouri, United States. The facility serves a population of 126 residents and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is the minimum required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater plants. The plant has a designed capacity of 53.00 million gallons per year and currently discharges 41.64 million gallons per year, indicating it operates below its capacity. The plant's treatment process is secondary treatment, which typically involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids. As a small plant in the United States, it is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The plant's discharge volume and capacity suggest it is designed to handle the wastewater from its small service area. The treated effluent from EL REY HEIGHTS SUBD is discharged into a local water body, likely a stream or creek that flows into the Missouri River watershed. The Missouri River eventually drains into the Mississippi River and then into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's location in inland Missouri means its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the Mississippi River basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for birds and fish.

The plant discharges into a local water body within the Missouri River watershed, which flows into the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish species such as catfish and bass, and provide habitat for migratory waterfowl. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, protecting downstream water quality and aquatic life.