Kirwin WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kirwin, Kansas

Kirwin WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Kirwin, Kansas, serving a small population of 211 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for communities of this size, ensuring effective removal of organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 189.27 thousand gallons per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 87.06 thousand gallons, operating well within its capacity. As a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) in the United States, it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged to a local receiving water body, which ultimately drains into the Solomon River basin and then into the Kansas River system, part of the larger Missouri River watershed. This plant plays a key role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and maintaining the health of the region's surface waters.

The plant discharges into a local waterway that flows into the Solomon River, a tributary of the Kansas River, which eventually joins the Missouri River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and recreation. The secondary treatment process reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream lakes and reservoirs.