Tellico Plains WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Tennessee

Tellico Plains WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Tellico Plains, Monroe County, Tennessee. The plant serves a small community of around 950 people, providing secondary treatment to manage domestic wastewater from the area. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal facilities. With a designed capacity of approximately 530 cubic meters per day and a discharge volume of about 174 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well within its capacity. As a small agglomeration, it meets the national standards for effluent quality set by the EPA and enforced by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The treated effluent is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately drains into the Tennessee River system. The Tennessee River basin supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for communities downstream. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect local streams and the broader watershed from nutrient pollution and pathogens.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Little Tennessee River, which flows into the Tennessee River and eventually the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic species, including fish and macroinvertebrates, and is part of a larger ecosystem that provides habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Proper treatment is essential to maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive region.