Rich Hill WWTF - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Rich Hill, Missouri

Rich Hill Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) serves the small community of Rich Hill in Bates County, Missouri. The plant provides secondary treatment for a population of 1,596, with a designed capacity of 1,097.77 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 870.65 thousand gallons per day. As a secondary treatment facility, Rich Hill WWTF meets the standard requirements under the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater treatment. Plants of this scale in Missouri typically operate under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent from Rich Hill WWTF likely discharges to a local stream or river within the Osage River basin, which ultimately flows into the Missouri River and then the Mississippi River. The plant's inland location and secondary treatment level help protect downstream aquatic ecosystems from nutrient and pathogen pollution.

Rich Hill WWTF discharges into a tributary of the Osage River system, which drains into the Missouri River and eventually the Mississippi River. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional water quality. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping to maintain the ecological health of downstream water bodies.