LEDBETTER STP and CS - Livingston County, Kentucky Wastewater Treatment Plant

LEDBETTER STP and CS is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 101 Hodge Landing Road in Livingston County, Kentucky. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,699 and operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which governs discharges through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. 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 1,135.62 million gallons per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 484.53 million gallons, indicating operational headroom. Secondary treatment typically involves activated sludge or trickling filter systems. The facility is subject to state and federal permit requirements that set effluent limits for biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and other pollutants. The treated effluent from LEDBETTER STP and CS is discharged into nearby waterways that ultimately drain into the Ohio River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The plant's location in western Kentucky places it within the lower Ohio River watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The facility plays a key role in protecting local water quality and the ecological health of the region.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Tennessee River or directly into the Ohio River, which then joins the Mississippi River and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The Ohio River basin supports a variety of fish and wildlife, including several species of freshwater mussels and migratory birds. The area's karst topography and proximity to the Mississippi Flyway make water quality management important for both local ecosystems and downstream habitats.