Overview
TCEA Ball Creek WWTP is a secondary treatment plant serving 138 people in Vest, Kentucky. It discharges 18.93 thousand cubic meters of treated wastewater annually.
TCEA Ball Creek WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Vest, Knott County, Kentucky. The plant serves a small population of 138 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community within the Appalachian region. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for most municipal facilities. With a designed capacity of 757.08 thousand cubic meters per year, the plant operates well below its capacity, discharging 18.93 thousand cubic meters annually. As a small facility, it is subject to EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway within the Kentucky River basin, which ultimately flows to the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River. The plant's operations help protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and maintain water quality in this mountainous region.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Kentucky River, which flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The Appalachian region's steep terrain and coal mining history make local watersheds sensitive to pollution. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic matter and suspended solids, protecting aquatic life in receiving streams.
Frequently asked questions
TCEA Ball Creek WWTP is located on KY 1087 in Vest, Knott County, Kentucky, in the Appalachian region of the United States.
The plant serves a small population of 138 residents, typical of a rural community wastewater facility.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local stream within the Kentucky River basin, which flows to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
As a U.S. facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to an EPA NPDES permit that sets effluent limits for secondary treatment.
Small plants in Kentucky typically use secondary treatment, such as activated sludge or lagoon systems, to meet state and federal water quality standards.
Nearby plants