LEXINGTON COL SYS Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lexington, South Carolina

LEXINGTON COL SYS is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Lexington, South Carolina, serving a small community of approximately 971 residents. The plant is situated on South Lake Drive in Lexington County, providing essential sanitation services to the local area. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), plants of this scale are typically permitted by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to ensure compliance with effluent limits. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Saluda River basin, part of the larger Santee River watershed. This region supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's location inland reduces direct marine impact, but proper treatment remains critical for protecting freshwater ecosystems.

The plant discharges into the Saluda River watershed, which flows into Lake Murray and then the Congaree River, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean via the Santee River system. The local watershed supports recreational fisheries and provides habitat for species such as striped bass and American shad. Maintaining secondary treatment standards helps protect water quality in this ecologically important river basin.