Overview
Fort Valley WPCP serves approximately 14,070 residents in Fort Valley, Georgia, as part of the city's municipal wastewater infrastructure. The plant discharges treated effluent into local waterways within the Ocmulgee River basin.
Fort Valley Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Fort Valley, Georgia, serving a population of about 14,070. The plant is situated on Ice Plant Road in Peach County and operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges into surface waters. As a medium-sized agglomeration, Fort Valley WPCP is expected to provide at least secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard for municipal plants under the Clean Water Act. The plant's treatment processes are designed to meet permit limits that protect water quality in the receiving stream. The plant's design reflects the needs of the local community. The plant discharges treated wastewater into a tributary of the Ocmulgee River, which flows through central Georgia and eventually joins the Altamaha River before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Ocmulgee River basin supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and macroinvertebrates, and provides water for recreation and agriculture downstream.
Environmental context
Fort Valley WPCP discharges into a tributary of the Ocmulgee River, part of the Altamaha River basin that drains to the Atlantic Ocean. The Ocmulgee River supports a variety of fish species and provides habitat for freshwater mussels. Downstream, the Altamaha River is one of the largest free-flowing rivers on the U.S. East Coast, sustaining extensive floodplain forests and estuarine ecosystems near the coast. The plant's discharge must meet state water quality standards to protect these downstream environments.
Frequently asked questions
Fort Valley WPCP is located on Ice Plant Road in Fort Valley, Peach County, Georgia, United States.
The plant serves approximately 14,070 residents in the Fort Valley area.
The plant discharges treated wastewater into a tributary of the Ocmulgee River, which flows through central Georgia and eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean via the Altamaha River.
As a municipal wastewater plant in the United States, Fort Valley WPCP operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The Clean Water Act requires secondary treatment as a minimum for such facilities to protect water quality.
For a medium-sized agglomeration like Fort Valley, secondary treatment is standard under U.S. regulations. Many plants in Georgia also incorporate nutrient removal to address local water quality concerns, especially in watersheds draining to sensitive estuaries.
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