Stoutsville WWTP and Sewers - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Stoutsville, Ohio

Stoutsville WWTP and Sewers is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Stoutsville, Ohio, within Fairfield County. The plant serves a small population of 581 residents, providing advanced treatment to protect local water quality. As a facility in the United States, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is regulated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. It has a designed capacity of 473.18 m³/day and currently discharges 378.54 m³/day of treated effluent. This level of treatment is typical for facilities discharging to sensitive water bodies or where higher water quality standards apply. The treated effluent from Stoutsville WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that eventually drains into the Hocking River basin, part of the larger Ohio River watershed. The Ohio River flows into the Mississippi River and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. The advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and supports recreational and drinking water uses.

The plant's discharge enters a tributary of the Hocking River, which flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River system, reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The Hocking River watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as smallmouth bass and sunfish. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading, which can cause algal blooms in downstream waters.