Richland Co Starks Terrace Wastewater Treatment Plant, Columbia, South Carolina

Richland Co Starks Terrace is a planned wastewater treatment facility located in Columbia, South Carolina, within Richland County. Designed to serve a small population of 220, the plant will provide secondary treatment for municipal wastewater in this growing area of the state. As a projected facility, the plant will be subject to the US Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements. For small communities in South Carolina, secondary treatment is the standard baseline, with additional nutrient controls potentially required depending on the receiving water body's sensitivity. The plant's treated effluent will discharge into the Congaree River basin, which flows through the Congaree National Park and eventually joins the Wateree River to form the Santee River, draining into the Atlantic Ocean. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is ecologically sensitive, making proper treatment essential for downstream water quality.

The plant will discharge into the Congaree River watershed, part of the larger Santee River basin that drains into the Atlantic Ocean. This region includes ecologically significant floodplain forests and supports a variety of fish and wildlife species. Proper wastewater treatment is critical to protect these downstream ecosystems from nutrient pollution and other contaminants.