Falkville HCR Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Alabama

Falkville HCR Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Robinson Creek Road in Falkville, Morgan County, Alabama. The plant serves a small community of about 1,200 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges. As a small agglomeration, the plant's design capacity is 1,022.06 cubic meters per day, with an average daily flow of 908.50 cubic meters, indicating near-capacity operations. The plant employs secondary treatment, which typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), the plant must comply with effluent limits set by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to protect water quality. The treated wastewater is discharged into a local stream that ultimately drains into the Tennessee River, a major tributary of the Ohio River and part of the Mississippi River system. The plant's operations help safeguard downstream aquatic habitats and support the ecological health of the Tennessee River basin, which is home to diverse fish and mussel species.

The plant discharges into a small tributary of the Tennessee River, which flows through northern Alabama and into the Ohio River. The Tennessee River basin supports a rich diversity of aquatic life, including numerous endemic fish and mussel species. Downstream waters are used for recreation, drinking water supply, and irrigation, making effective wastewater treatment critical to maintaining water quality and ecosystem health.