GREENUP Wastewater Treatment Plant, Greenup, Kentucky - Secondary Treatment for Small Community

GREENUP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on Perry Street in Greenup, Kentucky, a small community in Greenup County. The facility serves approximately 650 residents, reflecting its role as a small-scale treatment operation in the Ohio River Valley region. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 908.50 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 757.08 cubic meters per day, the facility operates within its capacity. As a U.S. plant, it is subject to the Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. Treated effluent from GREENUP is discharged into the Ohio River watershed, which drains into the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help protect local streams and the larger river ecosystem from nutrient pollution and pathogens, supporting aquatic life and downstream water quality.

The GREENUP plant discharges into the Ohio River basin, a major tributary of the Mississippi River system. The Ohio River supports diverse aquatic species and serves as a critical waterway for the region. Downstream, the Mississippi River carries flows to the Gulf of Mexico, where nutrient inputs can contribute to hypoxic zones. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic and nutrient loads, helping to mitigate these impacts.