ELIZABETHTOWN STP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Elizabethtown, Indiana

ELIZABETHTOWN STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Elizabethtown, Bartholomew County, Indiana. Serving a small population of 430, the plant provides advanced treatment to protect local water quality. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, exceeding the secondary treatment standard required by the US Clean Water Act. With a designed capacity of 227.12 m³/day and a discharge volume of 227.13 m³/day, it operates near full capacity. As a US facility, it is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to safeguard receiving waters. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Ohio River basin. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's advanced treatment helps minimize nutrient and pollutant loading, contributing to the ecological health of the region.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Ohio River basin, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed supports agricultural and residential land uses, and the advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient inputs that could contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf. The plant's location inland, away from coastal zones, reduces direct marine impact but still plays a role in regional water quality.