McCurtain WWT - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in McCurtain, Oklahoma

McCurtain WWT is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in McCurtain, Haskell County, Oklahoma. The plant serves a small population of 466 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet local environmental standards. Its designed capacity is 340.69 megaliters, with an annual discharge volume of 189.27 megaliters. As a secondary treatment plant, McCurtain WWT meets the minimum requirements under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which mandates secondary treatment for municipal wastewater. The plant operates under an EPA NPDES permit issued by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, ensuring compliance with discharge limits for biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Arkansas River basin, eventually reaching the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in the region, particularly for downstream aquatic habitats and recreational uses.

The plant's discharge enters a small tributary of the Arkansas River, which flows through eastern Oklahoma into the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and macroinvertebrates, and is used for recreation. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and organic pollution, protecting downstream ecosystems.