Elk City WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Elk City, Kansas

Elk City WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Elk City, Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. The plant serves a small population of 305 residents, reflecting its role as a community-scale infrastructure asset in a rural setting. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment process required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, facilities of this scale must meet effluent limits that protect water quality in receiving streams. The plant's designed capacity of 128.70 megaliters per year and actual discharge volume of 113.56 megaliters indicate operational headroom. The treated effluent from Elk City WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Verdigris River basin, part of the larger Arkansas River watershed. This region supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for downstream communities and agriculture. Proper treatment at this plant helps maintain the ecological health of the receiving waters.

Elk City WWTP discharges into a tributary of the Verdigris River, which flows into the Arkansas River and eventually reaches the Mississippi River system. The local watershed supports a mix of agricultural and natural habitats, including riparian zones that provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive region.