Florence RSD Wastewater Treatment Plant, Switzerland County, Indiana

Florence RSD is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on Log Lick Road in Switzerland County, Indiana, serving a population of approximately 4,800. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for communities of this size in the United States, ensuring removal of organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant's designed capacity is 976.63 thousand gallons per day, with an average daily discharge volume of 870.65 thousand gallons per day, indicating it operates below capacity. As a U.S. facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into nearby streams that drain into the Ohio River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Ohio River supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions downstream. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, contributing to the ecological health of the Ohio River basin.

Florence RSD discharges into local creeks that flow into the Ohio River, which eventually joins the Mississippi River and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The Ohio River is a critical waterway supporting diverse fish species and providing habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps mitigate nutrient pollution, which is a concern in the Mississippi River basin due to its contribution to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.