Martin County Sanitation District Inez WWTP - Inez, Kentucky Wastewater Treatment Plant

The Martin County Sanitation District Inez WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Inez, Kentucky, serving a population of approximately 1,711 residents. The plant operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which governs wastewater discharges through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Kentucky Division of Water. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States. It has a design capacity of 984.20 thousand cubic meters per year and currently treats an annual flow of 518.60 thousand cubic meters. The facility is situated in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky, characterized by hilly terrain and a rural setting. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Big Sandy River, a tributary of the Ohio River. The Ohio River flows into the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting local streams from nutrient and pathogen pollution, supporting aquatic life and downstream water quality.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Big Sandy River, which flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as smallmouth bass and various freshwater mussels. The Appalachian region's steep slopes and coal mining history make water quality protection critical for both ecological health and human use.