Augusta W and S District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Augusta, Montana

The Augusta W and S District wastewater treatment plant serves the small community of Augusta, located in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. With a population served of 300, this facility is classified as a small-scale municipal treatment operation in the rural western United States. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. Its designed capacity of 136.27 megaliters and actual discharge volume of 94.64 megaliters indicate operational headroom. As a small facility, it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local waterway within the Missouri River basin. The Missouri River system ultimately drains into the Mississippi River and then the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's location inland and away from coastal areas reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the Missouri River watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and agricultural uses.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Missouri River, which flows through Montana and joins the Mississippi River before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The Missouri River basin is ecologically significant, supporting species such as pallid sturgeon and providing critical habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this important watershed.