Avondale WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Avondale, Colorado

Avondale WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Avondale, Colorado, a small community in Pueblo County. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,500 people, reflecting its role as a key infrastructure component for this rural area. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 567.81 megaliters and an annual discharge volume of 302.83 megaliters, the facility operates below its full capacity, indicating room for future growth. Treated effluent from Avondale WWTP is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Arkansas River basin. The Arkansas River flows through southeastern Colorado and into Oklahoma, supporting agricultural irrigation and aquatic habitats. The plant's operations are regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to protect downstream water quality.

Avondale WWTP discharges into tributaries of the Arkansas River, which flows through the semi-arid region of southeastern Colorado. The Arkansas River supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and recreation. Downstream, the river enters the Mississippi River basin, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting local streams and the broader watershed.