GURLEY WWTP - Cheyenne County, Nebraska Wastewater Treatment Plant

GURLEY WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Road 81 in Cheyenne County, Nebraska, United States. The plant serves a small population of 228 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community within the Great Plains region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 90.85 thousand cubic meters per year and a discharge volume matching that figure, the facility operates at full capacity. As a US plant, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, ensuring compliance with effluent limits. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Platte River basin, a vital water source for agriculture and wildlife in the central United States. The plant's inland location, far from coastal areas, reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the region's river systems.

The plant discharges into the Platte River watershed, which flows eastward through Nebraska to join the Missouri River and eventually the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. The Platte River is a critical habitat for migratory birds, including the endangered whooping crane, and supports diverse aquatic life. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect these downstream ecosystems from nutrient pollution and pathogens.