Elkton Wastewater System - Giles County, Tennessee Wastewater Treatment Plant

Elkton Wastewater System is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Giles County, Tennessee, in the Middle Tennessee region. The plant serves a small population of approximately 100 people and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is the minimum required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. The plant has a designed capacity of 30.28 million gallons per day and currently discharges 18.93 million gallons per day, indicating it operates below its full capacity. As a US facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Tennessee River basin. The Tennessee River flows into the Ohio River, then the Mississippi River, and finally the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's location inland, away from coastal areas, reduces direct marine impact but still contributes to the overall nutrient load in the Mississippi River watershed.

The plant discharges into a receiving water body within the Tennessee River basin, which flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish. Secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants but may not fully remove nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which can contribute to downstream eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico's hypoxic zone.