Sharon Springs WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Sharon Springs, Kansas

Sharon Springs WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Sharon Springs, Kansas, serving a small population of 726 residents. The plant is situated in Wallace County, near the western border of the state, and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required for most municipal facilities under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. With a designed capacity of 567.81 million gallons and an annual discharge volume of 314.19 million gallons, the plant operates well within its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body, likely a stream or river within the Smoky Hill River basin, which ultimately drains into the Kansas River and then the Missouri River. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality in the semi-arid High Plains region of western Kansas.

The plant discharges into a receiving water body within the Smoky Hill River watershed, which flows eastward to the Kansas River and eventually the Missouri River. This region is part of the High Plains aquifer system, where surface water is scarce and groundwater recharge is critical. The treated effluent supports local streamflow and aquatic habitat in an otherwise dry landscape.