PATTERSON WPCP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Patterson, Georgia

PATTERSON WPCP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Patterson, Pierce County, Georgia, United States. The plant serves a small population of 763 residents, reflecting its role as a local infrastructure asset for the community. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 787.36 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 492.10 million gallons per year, the facility operates below its capacity. As a US plant, it operates under an EPA NPDES permit issued by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, ensuring compliance with federal and state water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body, which ultimately drains into the Satilla River basin and then to the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems by reducing organic pollutants and nutrients before discharge.

PATTERSON WPCP discharges into a local stream that is part of the Satilla River watershed, which flows southeast into the Atlantic Ocean near Brunswick, Georgia. The Satilla River is a blackwater river known for its diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as redbreast sunfish and chain pickerel. The plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive river system, supporting recreational fishing and wildlife habitat.