STARK WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Stark, Kansas

STARK WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Stark, Neosho County, Kansas, United States. The plant serves a small population of approximately 103 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 employs secondary treatment processes, meeting the standard for organic pollutant removal. With a designed capacity of 49.21 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 37.85 m³/day, the facility operates at about 77% of its capacity, indicating adequate headroom for current demand. The plant's discharge is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program, administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that eventually drains into the Neosho River basin, part of the larger Arkansas River watershed. This river system supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agricultural and municipal uses downstream. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect water quality in this inland basin, reducing nutrient and organic loads that could otherwise impact downstream ecosystems.

STARK WWTP discharges into a tributary of the Neosho River, which flows into the Arkansas River and ultimately the Mississippi River system. The Neosho River basin supports a variety of fish and wildlife, including several sensitive species. The plant's secondary treatment reduces biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids, helping maintain the ecological health of this inland watershed.