Overview
RALSTON WWT is a secondary treatment plant serving 458 people in Ralston, Oklahoma. It discharges 151.42 units of treated wastewater daily, operating under U.S. Clean Water Act regulations.
RALSTON WWT is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 550 Main Street in Ralston, Oklahoma, a small town in Pawnee County. The plant serves a population of 458 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids from domestic wastewater. The plant's designed capacity is 151.42 units, matching its current discharge volume, indicating full utilization. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, facilities of this scale are typically regulated through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. These permits set effluent limits to protect water quality in receiving streams. The treated effluent from RALSTON WWT likely discharges into a local waterway within the Arkansas River basin, which ultimately flows to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's inland location, over 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall nutrient load in the downstream watershed.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters a tributary of the Arkansas River, which flows through Oklahoma and Arkansas before joining the Mississippi River and reaching the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is used for recreation and agriculture. Nutrient enrichment from wastewater can contribute to algal blooms in downstream reservoirs and the Gulf hypoxic zone, making effective treatment important for regional water quality.
Frequently asked questions
RALSTON WWT is located at 550 Main Street in Ralston, Oklahoma, within Pawnee County, United States.
The plant serves a population of 458 residents, typical of a small rural community in Oklahoma.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local waterway within the Arkansas River basin, which ultimately drains to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.
As a U.S. facility, RALSTON WWT operates under the Clean Water Act, with NPDES permits issued by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to ensure compliance with effluent limits.
Small plants in the U.S. often use secondary treatment, which includes biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting EPA standards for discharge to surface waters.
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