Terra Alta WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Terra Alta, West Virginia

Terra Alta WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Terra Alta, a small town in Preston County, West Virginia. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,715 residents, reflecting its role in managing domestic wastewater for this rural community. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal facilities. With a designed capacity of 946.35 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 719.23 thousand gallons per day, the plant operates below its capacity, indicating adequate headroom for current demand. As a U.S. facility, it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The treated effluent from Terra Alta WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Cheat River watershed, part of the larger Monongahela River basin. This river system flows into the Ohio River and eventually the Mississippi River, making the plant's discharge important for downstream water quality in the Appalachian region.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Cheat River, which flows through the Appalachian Mountains and supports diverse aquatic life, including native trout species. The Cheat River is a significant tributary of the Monongahela River, which joins the Ohio River. The watershed is ecologically sensitive due to its mountainous terrain and forested headwaters, which provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Proper treatment at Terra Alta WWTP helps protect these downstream ecosystems from nutrient pollution and pathogens.