Estill County Water District WWTP - Irvine, Kentucky Wastewater Treatment

The Estill County Water District WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Irvine, Kentucky, serving a population of approximately 2,000 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for smaller communities in the United States, ensuring that effluent meets regulatory standards before discharge. With a designed capacity of 794.93 thousand gallons per day and an average daily flow of 499.67 thousand gallons per day, the plant operates at roughly 63% capacity. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits and monitoring requirements to protect water quality. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into a tributary of the Kentucky River, which flows into the Ohio River and ultimately the Mississippi River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's secondary treatment process reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping maintain the ecological health of the receiving waters.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Kentucky River, part of the larger Ohio-Mississippi River system. This watershed supports diverse aquatic species and provides critical habitat for fish and macroinvertebrates. The Kentucky River is also a source of drinking water for several communities, making the plant's treatment performance important for public health and ecosystem integrity.