Overview
Wheelwright STP is a secondary treatment plant serving 735 residents in Wheelwright, Kentucky. It discharges approximately 594 m³/day of treated wastewater and operates under the US Clean Water Act framework.
Wheelwright STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on KY 306 in Wheelwright, Floyd County, Kentucky. Serving a population of 735, the plant provides secondary treatment to domestic wastewater from this small Appalachian community. The plant has a designed capacity of 851.72 m³/day and currently discharges about 594.31 m³/day of treated effluent. As a secondary treatment facility, it meets the minimum requirements under the US Clean Water Act for publicly owned treatment works, which mandate biological treatment to reduce biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into a local receiving water body that ultimately drains into the Big Sandy River watershed, part of the Ohio River basin. This region is characterized by mountainous terrain and coal mining history, making water quality protection important for downstream aquatic ecosystems.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Big Sandy River, which flows into the Ohio River and eventually the Mississippi River. The Appalachian region's steep slopes and coal mining legacy make streams sensitive to sedimentation and nutrient loading. Secondary treatment helps protect aquatic life in these headwater streams.
Frequently asked questions
Wheelwright STP is located on KY 306 in Wheelwright, Floyd County, Kentucky, in the Appalachian region of the United States.
The plant serves a population of 735 residents in the Wheelwright community.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local stream that flows into the Big Sandy River watershed, part of the Ohio River basin.
Wheelwright STP provides secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater treatment plants.
As a publicly owned treatment works, Wheelwright STP operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality.
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