ANETH Wastewater Treatment Plant, Aneth / Tʼáá Bííchʼį́įdii, Utah

The ANETH wastewater treatment plant is located in Aneth / Tʼáá Bííchʼį́įdii, within the Shiprock Agency of San Juan County, Utah, United States. It serves a small community of 501 people, reflecting its role in a rural, arid region of the Colorado Plateau. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities under the U.S. Clean Water Act. With a designed capacity of 283.91 and a discharge volume of 200.63, the facility operates within its capacity. As a U.S. plant, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Colorado River Basin. This basin is ecologically significant, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing water for agriculture and municipalities across the southwestern United States. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality in this sensitive desert environment.

The ANETH plant discharges into the San Juan River watershed, a tributary of the Colorado River. The Colorado River Basin is a critical water source for the arid Southwest, supporting endangered fish species such as the Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pathogen loads, protecting the river's ecological health and downstream uses including irrigation and recreation.