Overview
Melbourne WWTP is an advanced treatment facility serving 1,848 people in Melbourne, Arkansas. It discharges 696.52 units of treated wastewater daily, with a designed capacity of 1,552.01 units.
Melbourne WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Melbourne, Izard County, Arkansas, United States. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,848 residents, reflecting a small community scale typical of rural Arkansas. It is situated inland, away from coastal zones, and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which governs wastewater discharges through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The plant employs advanced treatment processes, ensuring a high level of pollutant removal before discharge. Advanced treatment typically includes biological nutrient removal or tertiary filtration, exceeding the secondary treatment standard required for most municipal plants. The facility has a designed capacity of 1,552.01 units and currently discharges 696.52 units, indicating operational capacity well below its design limit. The treated effluent is discharged into a local receiving water body, likely a stream or river within the White River basin, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and supports water quality in the region's sensitive karst topography, which is common in the Ozark Mountains area.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a local waterway within the White River basin, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Ozark region features karst geology with porous limestone, making groundwater and surface waters highly interconnected. Advanced treatment at this plant helps prevent nutrient pollution that could cause algal blooms in downstream reservoirs and the Gulf hypoxic zone.
Frequently asked questions
Melbourne WWTP is located on Water Plant Drive in Melbourne, Izard County, Arkansas, United States.
The plant serves a population of approximately 1,848 residents in the Melbourne area.
The plant uses advanced treatment processes and discharges treated effluent into a local receiving water body, likely within the White River basin.
As a US facility, Melbourne WWTP operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to NPDES permit requirements enforced by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment.
For small communities in the US, secondary treatment is the minimum standard, but many plants like Melbourne WWTP employ advanced treatment to meet stricter water quality standards in sensitive watersheds.
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