Honaker WWTP and Collection System - Secondary Treatment Plant in Honaker, Virginia

Honaker WWTP and Collection System is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Honaker, Russell County, Virginia. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,535 residents, classifying it as a small-scale treatment facility within the region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 757.08 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 870.65 thousand gallons per day, the plant operates at a utilization rate above its design capacity, indicating potential stress on the system. The plant is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Tennessee River basin and then to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a critical role in protecting the water quality of the surrounding watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides recreational and drinking water resources for downstream communities.

The plant discharges into the Lewis Creek watershed, a tributary of the Clinch River, which flows into the Tennessee River and eventually the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The Clinch River is known for its high aquatic biodiversity, including numerous freshwater mussel species. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollutant loads, protecting downstream ecosystems from eutrophication and habitat degradation.