Vilonia WWTP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Vilonia, Arkansas

Vilonia WWTP is an advanced wastewater treatment facility located on Stanley Road in Vilonia, Faulkner County, Arkansas. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,815 residents, reflecting a small to medium-sized municipal system typical of inland communities in the southern United States. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 1,892.70 thousand gallons per day and an actual discharge volume of 885.79 thousand gallons per day, the facility operates well within its capacity. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, such plants are regulated through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local receiving water body, which ultimately drains into the Arkansas River watershed. The Arkansas River flows southeast to the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and supports the ecological health of the region's waterways.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Arkansas River, which flows through central Arkansas before joining the Mississippi River. The Arkansas River watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including several species of freshwater fish and migratory birds. The advanced treatment at Vilonia WWTP reduces nutrient loading, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream water bodies and the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.