TAZEWELL WWTP and COLLECTION SYSTEM - Tazewell County, Virginia Wastewater Treatment

TAZEWELL WWTP and COLLECTION SYSTEM is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Tazewell County, Virginia, serving a population of about 7,151. The plant is situated inland, more than 50 kilometers from the coast, and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges. As a facility serving a small population, typical treatment for plants of this scale in the United States involves secondary treatment, which includes biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. It is expected to meet state and federal effluent standards. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into local waterways within the Clinch River watershed, which ultimately drains into the Tennessee River system and then to the Gulf of Mexico. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life and are important for regional biodiversity, including several species of freshwater mussels and fish.

The plant discharges into the Clinch River watershed, a tributary of the Tennessee River system, which flows into the Ohio River and eventually the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. The Clinch River is known for its high aquatic biodiversity, including numerous endemic freshwater mussel species. The plant's operations are critical to maintaining water quality in this ecologically sensitive region.