Owensville WWTP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Owensville, Indiana

Owensville WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Owensville, Gibson County, Indiana. It serves a population of approximately 1,322 residents, classifying it as a small community system under U.S. regulatory frameworks. The plant is situated inland, far from coastal influences, and its operations are governed by the Clean Water Act through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The facility employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 529.96 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 567.81 million gallons per year, the plant operates near its capacity. As a small agglomeration, it is subject to EPA requirements for secondary treatment, but the advanced level indicates additional nutrient removal or polishing steps. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Wabash River basin, a major tributary of the Ohio River. The Wabash River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the Midwest. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this sensitive river system.

The plant discharges into a receiving water body within the Wabash River basin, which flows into the Ohio River and eventually the Mississippi River. The Wabash River is a biologically diverse system supporting numerous fish species and migratory birds. Advanced treatment at this facility reduces nutrient loading, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters, including the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.