Gurley WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Gurley, Alabama

Gurley WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Gurley, Madison County, Alabama. It serves a small population of 762 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet local water quality standards. The plant is situated inland, away from coastal areas, and its operations are part of the broader wastewater infrastructure in northern Alabama. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,135.62 volume units and a current discharge volume of 859.29 units, indicating it operates below its design capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, it follows the US Clean Water Act requirements, which mandate secondary treatment for municipal plants to reduce biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. The plant is likely permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. The treated effluent from Gurley WWTP discharges into local streams that eventually flow into the Tennessee River basin. The Tennessee River is a major tributary of the Ohio River, which drains into the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a role in protecting the water quality of these downstream water bodies, supporting aquatic life and recreational uses in the region.

Gurley WWTP discharges into local streams that are part of the Tennessee River watershed. The Tennessee River flows westward through Alabama and Tennessee, joining the Ohio River at Paducah, Kentucky, which then empties into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish and migratory birds, and is used for recreation and water supply. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically important basin.