PUTNAM PSD HOMETOWN WWTP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Hometown, West Virginia

PUTNAM PSD HOMETOWN WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Hometown, Putnam County, West Virginia. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,173 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges into surface waters. The plant provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 1,324,890 gallons per day and an average daily flow of 984,210 gallons, the facility operates at about 74% capacity, indicating room for future growth. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Ohio River watershed. The Ohio River flows into the Mississippi River and then to the Gulf of Mexico, making this plant part of a vast drainage network that supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and provides drinking water for millions downstream.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Ohio River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as bass and catfish, and provides habitat for migratory birds. The advanced treatment helps protect water quality in the Ohio River basin, reducing nutrient loads that could contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.