ROCKPORT WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Atchison County, Missouri

ROCKPORT WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located along Lewis & Clark Trail in Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The plant serves a small population of 1,016 residents and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is the minimum required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. The plant's designed capacity is 794.93 million gallons per year, with an actual discharge volume of 639.74 million gallons per year, indicating it operates below its capacity. As a US facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. 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 provides water for agricultural and recreational uses downstream.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed supports agricultural runoff and natural habitats, making proper nutrient removal important to prevent downstream eutrophication. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, protecting aquatic ecosystems in the Missouri River basin.