Otterville WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Otterville, Missouri

Otterville WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Otterville, Missouri, United States. The plant serves a small population of 454 residents, reflecting the rural character of the community in Cooper County. It operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges to surface waters. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 166.56 megaliters per year and an actual discharge volume of 151.42 megaliters, the facility operates below its capacity, indicating adequate headroom for current demand. The plant's discharge is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The treated effluent from Otterville WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Missouri River watershed. The Missouri River flows eastward to join the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the basin, supporting downstream aquatic ecosystems and recreational uses.

Otterville WWTP discharges into a tributary of the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Missouri River basin supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as catfish and paddlefish, and provides habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect water quality in the local stream and downstream reaches, reducing nutrient and organic loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico's hypoxic zone.