MARKLEYSBURG STP: Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Henry Clay Township, Pennsylvania

MARKLEYSBURG STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Henry Clay Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The plant serves a small population of around 380 residents, reflecting its role as a community-scale treatment system in a rural area of the Appalachian region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal facilities. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 283.91 thousand gallons per day and currently discharges an average of 166.56 thousand gallons per day, indicating it operates below its design capacity. The treated effluent from MARKLEYSBURG STP is discharged into a local stream that drains into the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. The Monongahela joins the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River, which flows to the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's discharge supports the health of these waterways by reducing pollutant loads.

The plant discharges into a small stream within the Youghiogheny River watershed, which flows into the Monongahela River, a major tributary of the Ohio River. The Ohio River basin supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive region, which includes important fish habitats and recreational areas.