ST FRANCIS WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Cheyenne County, Kansas

ST FRANCIS WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Cheyenne County, Kansas, serving a population of approximately 1,360 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States, ensuring that organic matter and suspended solids are reduced before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 832.79 volume units and a reported discharge volume of 514.82, indicating operational headroom. 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 Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that drain into the Republican River basin, part of the larger Missouri River watershed. This region supports agricultural activities and provides habitat for aquatic species. Proper treatment helps maintain downstream water quality and ecosystem health.

The plant discharges into local waterways that flow into the Republican River, a tributary of the Kansas River, which ultimately joins the Missouri River and then the Mississippi River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional agriculture. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting downstream habitats and water quality.