Lincoln County PWSD2 Emerald Estates Wastewater Treatment Plant, Missouri

Lincoln County PWSD2 Emerald Estates is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Lincoln County, Missouri, serving a small population of 80 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The plant has a designed capacity of 11.36 million gallons per day and discharges a similar volume of treated wastewater. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which set effluent limits to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Mississippi River basin, ultimately reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and maintaining water quality in the region's rivers and streams.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Mississippi River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River basin supports diverse aquatic life and is a critical migratory corridor for fish and birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf.