SMITHLAND Wastewater Treatment Plant, Smithland, Kentucky

The SMITHLAND wastewater treatment plant is located in Smithland, Kentucky, a small community in Livingston County. Serving a population of 401, the plant provides secondary treatment to municipal wastewater, ensuring compliance with environmental standards for small agglomerations. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal wastewater discharges. With a designed capacity of 264.98 cubic meters per day and a daily discharge volume of 541.31 cubic meters, the plant manages flows that exceed its design capacity, indicating potential operational challenges or combined sewer inflows. Treated effluent from the plant is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Ohio River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. This downstream connection highlights the plant's role in protecting water quality in the broader Mississippi River Basin, which supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and provides drinking water for millions.

The SMITHLAND plant discharges into a local waterway that flows into the Ohio River, which joins the Mississippi River before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and migratory birds, and is ecologically sensitive to nutrient loading and pollutant accumulation. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic matter and suspended solids, but additional nutrient removal may be needed to protect downstream water quality.