Richmond WWTP - Wayne County, Indiana Wastewater Treatment Plant

Richmond WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on River Road in Wayne County, Indiana, serving an estimated population of 45,200. The plant is situated inland, approximately 50 km from the coast, and plays a key role in managing wastewater for the Richmond area. As a medium-sized agglomeration, the plant is expected to meet secondary treatment standards under the U.S. Clean Water Act, enforced through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. These permits set effluent limits to protect water quality in the receiving water body. The treated effluent from Richmond WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Ohio River basin, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. This downstream connection underscores the plant's role in safeguarding water quality across a large watershed that supports diverse aquatic life and regional water supplies.

Richmond WWTP discharges into a tributary of the Whitewater River, which flows into the Ohio River and eventually the Mississippi River. The plant's effluent must meet standards to protect aquatic ecosystems in this inland watershed, which supports fish populations and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The region's agricultural and urban runoff also influence water quality, making treatment plant performance critical for maintaining ecological balance.