ROCKPORT I 29 WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Phelps City, Missouri

ROCKPORT I 29 WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located near US 136 in Phelps City, Atchison County, Missouri. The plant serves a small population of 320 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. It operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. Its designed capacity is 276.33 megaliters, with an actual discharge volume of 181.70 megaliters, indicating operational headroom. As a small facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Missouri River watershed, part of the larger Mississippi River basin. This region supports diverse aquatic life and agricultural activities, making proper wastewater treatment essential for protecting downstream water quality and ecosystem health.

The plant's discharge enters a tributary of the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Missouri River watershed is ecologically significant, supporting fish species such as catfish and paddlefish, and providing habitat for migratory birds. Proper treatment helps mitigate nutrient loading that could contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf.