RILEY WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Vigo County, Indiana

RILEY WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on South Frye Street in Vigo County, Indiana, serving a population of approximately 1,250. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States, and has a designed capacity of 908.50 units, matching its current discharge volume. As a secondary treatment plant, RILEY WWTP utilizes biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the requirements of the U.S. Clean Water Act. The facility operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. For plants of this scale, typical permits include monitoring for biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and pH. The treated effluent from RILEY WWTP is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Wabash River basin, a major tributary of the Ohio River. The Wabash River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor in the Midwest. The plant's location inland, away from coastal areas, reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall health of the watershed.

RILEY WWTP discharges into a receiving water body within the Wabash River basin, which flows into the Ohio River and eventually the Mississippi River. The Wabash River supports a variety of fish and wildlife, including several species of freshwater mussels and migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality in this inland watershed, which is ecologically sensitive to nutrient loading and sediment runoff.