Summersville WWTP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Shannon County, Missouri

Summersville WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Shannon County, Missouri, within the rural Ozark region of the United States. The facility serves a small population of 632 residents, reflecting the low-density character of the surrounding area. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond the secondary treatment standard required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for most municipal facilities. With a designed capacity of 340.69 megaliters, the plant operates well below its capacity, treating an annual discharge volume of 189.27 megaliters. As a U.S. facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent from Summersville WWTP is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Mississippi River Basin. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems, including streams and rivers that support diverse fish and invertebrate populations in the Ozark region.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Current River, a spring-fed system within the Ozark Plateau known for its high water quality and biodiversity. The Current River flows into the Black River, then the White River, and eventually the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The advanced treatment at Summersville WWTP helps minimize nutrient loading and protects sensitive aquatic habitats, including those supporting endemic fish and mussel species.