Roane Co STP - Oak Ridge, Tennessee Wastewater Treatment Plant

Roane Co STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Oak Ridge, Roane County, Tennessee. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,800 residents and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is typical for smaller communities in the United States. The plant has a designed capacity of 3,785.40 cubic meters per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 991.78 cubic meters, indicating significant spare capacity. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, ensuring compliance with federal effluent guidelines. The treated effluent is discharged into a tributary of the Tennessee River, which flows through East Tennessee and eventually into the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The plant plays a key role in protecting the local watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides recreational and drinking water resources for the region.

The plant discharges into the Tennessee River basin, a major waterway that drains much of the southeastern United States. The Tennessee River flows into the Ohio River, then the Mississippi River, ultimately reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic species and is important for regional biodiversity. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollutant loads, mitigating eutrophication risks in downstream water bodies.