Overview
Little River WWTP is a secondary treatment plant in Rice County, Kansas, serving 536 people. It discharges approximately 200.63 million gallons per year and has a designed capacity of 227.12 million gallons.
Little River WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Rice County, Kansas, United States. The plant serves a small population of 536 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet state and federal water quality standards. The plant operates with a designed capacity of 227.12 million gallons per year and currently discharges approximately 200.63 million gallons annually. As a secondary treatment facility, it utilizes biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, complying with the US Clean Water Act requirements for municipal wastewater treatment. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Arkansas River basin, a major tributary of the Mississippi River system. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting downstream water quality in the central Kansas region, supporting both ecological health and agricultural water uses.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters the Little Arkansas River watershed, which flows into the Arkansas River and eventually the Mississippi River. This inland basin supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and municipal use. The secondary treatment process reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream reservoirs and maintaining the ecological balance of the prairie river system.
Frequently asked questions
Little River WWTP is located on Avenue J in Rice County, Kansas, United States, serving the local community of approximately 536 residents.
The plant has a designed capacity of 227.12 million gallons per year and currently discharges about 200.63 million gallons annually, indicating it operates below its maximum capacity.
The plant provides secondary treatment before discharging effluent into local waterways that flow into the Little Arkansas River watershed, part of the larger Arkansas River basin.
As a US municipal wastewater plant, Little River WWTP operates under the Clean Water Act, with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
For small communities in Kansas, secondary treatment is standard, meeting EPA requirements for biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids removal to protect receiving water quality.
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