Hickory Ridge WWTP - Cross County, Arkansas Wastewater Treatment Plant

Hickory Ridge WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Cross County, Arkansas, United States. The plant serves a small population of 272 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids from wastewater before discharge. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires NPDES permits for all discharges. For small communities like this, secondary treatment is the standard requirement to protect water quality. The plant has a designed capacity of 378.54 million gallons per day, but actual discharge volume is 7.57 million gallons per day, indicating ample capacity for current demand. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that drain into the Mississippi River basin, ultimately reaching the Gulf of Mexico. This downstream connection highlights the plant's role in protecting regional water quality and aquatic ecosystems in the Lower Mississippi River watershed.

The plant discharges into streams within the Lower Mississippi River basin, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for birds and fish. The watershed is ecologically sensitive due to nutrient loading from agricultural runoff, making effective wastewater treatment critical for maintaining water quality and preventing eutrophication downstream.