Hickory Hills North Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Johnson County, Missouri

Hickory Hills North Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Spirit Trail in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The plant serves a small population of 110 residents, reflecting its role as a rural or small-community treatment system in the central part of the state. The facility provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for most municipal plants. With a designed capacity of 151.42 cubic meters per day and a current discharge volume of 37.85 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a US facility, it operates under an EPA NPDES permit issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into local streams that ultimately drain into the Missouri River watershed. This river system flows into the Mississippi River and then to the Gulf of Mexico, making the plant's operations important for downstream water quality. The surrounding area is primarily agricultural and rural, with the plant helping to protect local groundwater and surface water resources.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a larger river system that provides drinking water and recreation. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting downstream ecosystems from eutrophication.