Fort Gay WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Fort Gay, West Virginia

Fort Gay WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Fort Gay, West Virginia, United States. The plant serves a small population of 842 residents in this rural community along the Big Sandy River. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 348.26 thousand cubic meters per year and an actual discharge volume of 264.98 thousand cubic meters, the plant operates below its design capacity. As a small facility in a rural area, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting under the Clean Water Act. The treated effluent from Fort Gay WWTP is discharged into the Big Sandy River, which flows north to join the Ohio River at the West Virginia-Kentucky border. The Ohio River then drains into the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in the Big Sandy River watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and recreational uses.

Fort Gay WWTP discharges to the Big Sandy River, a tributary of the Ohio River. The Big Sandy River forms the border between West Virginia and Kentucky and supports a variety of fish species and aquatic habitats. Downstream, the Ohio River flows into the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically important river system.