BAYVIEW S_T PLANT - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Bayview, Idaho

BAYVIEW S_T PLANT is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Bayview, Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. The plant serves a small population of 775 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet state and federal water quality standards. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 946.35 megaliters and an annual discharge volume of 113.56 megaliters, the facility has ample capacity for its current service area. The treatment process is secondary, which typically involves biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into Lake Pend Oreille, one of the largest and deepest lakes in the western United States. The lake supports diverse aquatic life and is a key recreational and ecological resource in northern Idaho. The plant's discharge is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to protect water quality in the receiving water body.

The plant discharges into the Lake Pend Oreille watershed, which drains into the Pend Oreille River, then flows into the Columbia River and eventually the Pacific Ocean. Lake Pend Oreille is a deep, oligotrophic lake that supports native fish species such as bull trout and kokanee salmon. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect the lake's water quality and ecological health.