ELSMORE WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Elsmore, Kansas

ELSMORE WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Elsmore, Kansas, a small community in Allen County. The plant serves a population of 68 residents, reflecting its role in a rural setting. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant's designed capacity is 64.35 volume units, with an actual discharge volume of 26.50 volume units, indicating it operates below its maximum capacity. Under the US Clean Water Act, facilities of this scale are typically regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. Secondary treatment is the standard requirement for municipal wastewater plants in the United States. The treated effluent from ELSMORE WWTP is discharged into a local water body, which ultimately drains into the Neosho River basin. The Neosho River flows through southeastern Kansas and into Oklahoma, contributing to the Arkansas River watershed. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is important for local agriculture and recreation.

The plant discharges into a local stream that is part of the Neosho River basin, which flows into the Arkansas River and eventually the Mississippi River. The watershed supports a variety of fish and wildlife, including species that rely on clean water for spawning and habitat. Maintaining secondary treatment standards helps protect downstream water quality in this agriculturally influenced region.