WESTVILLE BELGIUM STP - Wastewater Treatment Plant in Belgium, Illinois

WESTVILLE BELGIUM STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Belgium, Vermilion County, Illinois. It serves a population of about 7,650 people, placing it in the small to medium agglomeration category. The plant is situated inland, far from coastal areas, and its operations are regulated under the U.S. Clean Water Act. As a facility serving fewer than 10,000 people, the plant is subject to secondary treatment standards under the Clean Water Act, which require removal of at least 85% of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. The plant's treatment process and capacity details are not publicly available, but typical plants of this scale in Illinois use activated sludge or lagoon systems to meet permit limits. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Wabash River basin, which flows south to the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's performance is critical to maintaining water quality in this ecologically important river system.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Wabash River, which flows into the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports a variety of fish and wildlife, including several species of freshwater mussels and migratory birds. The region's agricultural land use means that nutrient management from wastewater is important to prevent algal blooms in downstream waters.