FCPWSD 3 Red Barn Wastewater Treatment Plant, Franklin County, Missouri

FCPWSD 3 Red Barn is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The plant serves a small community of approximately 450 residents, providing essential sanitation services to the rural area. As part of the Franklin County Public Water Supply District, it plays a key role in local wastewater management. The plant employs secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment process required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 189.27 cubic meters per day and an average daily discharge of 170.34 cubic meters, the facility operates at about 90% capacity, indicating efficient utilization. The plant is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that flow into the Meramec River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Meramec River supports diverse aquatic life and is a popular recreational resource. By maintaining secondary treatment standards, the plant helps preserve water quality in this ecologically important watershed, which ultimately drains to the Gulf of Mexico.

The plant discharges into small streams within the Meramec River basin, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Meramec River is known for its biodiversity, supporting species such as smallmouth bass and freshwater mussels. The watershed is predominantly rural and forested, making it sensitive to nutrient pollution. Secondary treatment reduces organic matter and suspended solids, helping to maintain the ecological health of the receiving waters.