GAFFNEY CLARY CREEK PLANT - Cherokee County, South Carolina Wastewater Treatment

The GAFFNEY CLARY CREEK PLANT is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 401 Morgan Drive in Cherokee County, South Carolina. Serving an estimated population of 25,682, the plant is part of the region's wastewater infrastructure, handling residential and commercial flows from the Gaffney area. As a U.S. facility, the plant operates under the Clean Water Act, administered by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. For a community of this size, secondary treatment is the federal minimum standard, though many plants in the region employ additional nutrient removal to protect downstream water quality. The plant's treated effluent discharges to a receiving water body within the Broad River watershed, which flows into the Congaree River and ultimately reaches the Atlantic Ocean via the Santee River system. The facility plays a key role in maintaining water quality in this ecologically important basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and recreational uses.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Broad River, part of the Santee River basin that drains to the Atlantic Ocean. This watershed supports diverse aquatic species and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The region's Piedmont geography and clay soils influence runoff patterns, making nutrient management important for preventing algal blooms in receiving waters.