Versailles WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Ripley County, Indiana

Versailles WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Ripley County, Indiana, serving a population of approximately 1,784 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States, ensuring that organic matter and suspended solids are significantly reduced before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 946.35 cubic meters per day and processes a similar daily volume. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. Secondary treatment is the minimum required for municipal plants under federal regulations. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Ohio River basin, ultimately reaching the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems by reducing pollutant loads from the community.

The plant discharges into streams within the Ohio River watershed, which flows into the Mississippi River and then the Gulf of Mexico. This region supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and macroinvertebrates, and the plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality standards. The area is predominantly rural with agricultural land use, making nutrient management important for preventing eutrophication in downstream waters.