Winder Cedar Cr WPCP - Winder, Georgia Wastewater Treatment Plant

Winder Cedar Cr WPCP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Winder, Barrow County, Georgia, United States. It serves a population of around 13,700, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category under US regulatory frameworks. The plant is situated inland, more than 50 km from the coast, and its operations are subject to the US Clean Water Act and state-level Georgia Environmental Protection Division permits. As a facility serving fewer than 100,000 people, typical treatment expectations under the Clean Water Act include secondary treatment, which removes at least 85% of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. It operates within a well-established regulatory environment that mandates compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into local creeks that flow into the Oconee River, part of the Altamaha River basin, which ultimately reaches the Atlantic Ocean. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for downstream communities. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality and maintaining the ecological health of the region's streams and rivers.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Oconee River, which joins the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River, one of the largest free-flowing rivers on the US East Coast. The Altamaha River basin supports a rich diversity of fish and wildlife, including several rare and endemic species. The plant's operations help maintain water quality in this ecologically significant watershed, which ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean near Brunswick, Georgia.