APACHE WWT Wastewater Treatment Plant, Apache, Oklahoma

APACHE WWT is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Apache, Caddo County, Oklahoma. Serving a population of approximately 1,600, the plant plays a key role in managing the community's wastewater in a rural setting within the Southern Plains region. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 681.37 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 590.52 thousand gallons per day, it operates at about 87% capacity. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, such facilities must comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, ensuring effluent meets water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that drain into the Red River basin, ultimately flowing to the Gulf of Mexico. This contributes to the ecological health of downstream aquatic habitats, supporting fish and wildlife in the region's prairie waterways.

APACHE WWT discharges into tributaries of the Red River, which flows through Oklahoma and Texas before reaching the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The surrounding watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including species adapted to the region's seasonal flows. Protecting water quality in this basin is important for downstream ecosystems and recreational uses.