Union Star WWTP - DeKalb County, Missouri Wastewater Treatment Plant

Union Star WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in DeKalb County, Missouri, serving a small community of 437 residents. The plant operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges to protect water quality. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 264.98 units and an average daily discharge of 166.56 units, the facility operates below its maximum capacity, indicating adequate headroom for current demand. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Missouri River watershed, ultimately reaching the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems by reducing pollutant loads before discharge.

The plant discharges into streams within the Missouri River basin, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish. The secondary treatment helps mitigate nutrient and organic pollution that could otherwise contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf.