Latham WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Latham, Kansas

Latham WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 623 West Blaine Street in Latham, Kansas, a small community in Butler County. The plant serves a population of 165 and is designed to handle a capacity of 64.35 million gallons per year, with an actual discharge volume of 60.57 million gallons per year. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for most municipal facilities. As a small plant in a rural inland area, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Arkansas River basin, contributing to the regional hydrology. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality and supporting the ecological health of the surrounding watershed.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Arkansas River, which flows through Kansas and Oklahoma before joining the Mississippi River system. The downstream environment supports diverse aquatic life and provides habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting the river's ecological balance.