URICH WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Urich, Missouri

URICH WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Urich, Henry County, Missouri. The plant serves a small population of 505 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet local water quality standards. As a small-scale facility, it plays a vital role in protecting public health and the environment in this rural community. The plant has a designed capacity of 227.12 megaliters per year and currently treats approximately 189.27 megaliters annually, indicating it operates below its full capacity. Under the US Clean Water Act, facilities of this size are typically permitted through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which sets effluent limits to protect receiving waters. Secondary treatment is the standard requirement for municipal plants, ensuring removal of organic matter and suspended solids. The treated effluent from URICH WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Missouri River watershed. The Missouri River flows into the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This downstream connection means the plant's discharge contributes to the overall health of these major river systems, supporting aquatic life and downstream water quality.

URICH WWTP discharges into a tributary of the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic habitats and is part of a larger river system that provides drinking water, recreation, and ecological services. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and organic pollution, protecting downstream ecosystems from eutrophication and oxygen depletion.