HURDLAND WWTP - Hurdland, Missouri Wastewater Treatment Plant

HURDLAND WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Hurdland, a small town in Knox County, Missouri, United States. The plant serves a population of 163 and is part of the region's wastewater infrastructure, handling domestic sewage from the local community. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 87.06 million gallons per year and currently discharges 60.57 million gallons annually. Under the US Clean Water Act, facilities of this scale are typically regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Secondary treatment is the minimum standard required for municipal wastewater plants in the United States, ensuring compliance with federal effluent guidelines. The treated effluent from HURDLAND WWTP is discharged into a local waterway, likely a tributary of the Mississippi River Basin. The plant's location in rural Missouri means its discharge supports local streams and groundwater recharge, contributing to the overall health of the watershed. Downstream, the water flows through the Mississippi River system, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico, making the plant's performance important for regional water quality.

The plant discharges into a local watercourse within the Mississippi River Basin, which drains a vast area of the central United States. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life, including fish and macroinvertebrates, and are part of an important migratory corridor for birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream ecosystems from nutrient pollution and organic loading, which is critical for maintaining water quality in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.