Kelso WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Kelso, Missouri

Kelso WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Kelso, Scott County, Missouri, serving a population of 586. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States, ensuring that effluent meets basic quality standards before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 283.91 thousand gallons per day and a current discharge volume of 193.06 thousand gallons per day, indicating operational headroom. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act, with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent from Kelso WWTP is discharged into local streams that flow into the Mississippi River, a major waterway draining much of the central United States. The Mississippi River supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions downstream. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, contributing to the ecological health of the river system.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Mississippi River, which flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River basin is a critical ecological corridor, supporting numerous fish species and migratory birds. Downstream, the river contributes to the Gulf of Mexico's hypoxic zone, making nutrient management important. The plant's secondary treatment helps control organic loading but does not specifically target nutrients.