ERIE WWTP - Neosho County, Kansas Wastewater Treatment Plant

ERIE WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Neosho County, Kansas, United States. The plant serves a small population of approximately 1,150 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or small-town 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 1,930.55 units, and it currently discharges 435.32 units of treated wastewater, indicating it operates well below its capacity. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, such facilities are regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. Secondary treatment is the minimum standard for municipal plants in the U.S. The treated effluent from ERIE WWTP is discharged into a local water body, likely a stream or river within the Neosho River basin. The Neosho River flows through southeastern Kansas into Oklahoma, eventually joining the Arkansas River and draining into the Mississippi River system. The plant's discharge contributes to the local hydrology and must comply with state water quality standards to protect downstream aquatic life and recreational uses.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Neosho River, which flows through the Osage Plains ecoregion. The Neosho River supports diverse aquatic species, including several native fish and mussel species. Downstream, the river joins the Arkansas River, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, though agricultural runoff in the region also influences water quality.