Overview
Belfair Wastewater and Water Reclaim is a secondary treatment plant serving 1,791 people in Belfair, Washington. It discharges treated wastewater near the Hood Canal, a sensitive marine ecosystem.
Belfair Wastewater and Water Reclaim is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Belfair, Washington, within Mason County. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,791 residents and operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard for many small to medium communities in the United States under the Clean Water Act. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,211.33 volume units and discharges an average of 984.21 volume units, indicating a utilization rate around 81%. As a facility in Washington State, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Washington State Department of Ecology, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into the Hood Canal, a fjord-like estuary of Puget Sound. This water body is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse marine life including salmon, shellfish, and orcas. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) underscores the importance of its treatment performance in safeguarding the marine environment from nutrient pollution and pathogens.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Hood Canal, a 110-kilometer-long fjord that connects to Puget Sound and ultimately the Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Hood Canal experiences seasonal low dissolved oxygen levels due to its deep, silled basin and nutrient inputs, making it vulnerable to eutrophication. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic matter and nutrients, supporting the health of this ecologically important waterway that hosts salmon runs, herring spawning, and shellfish beds.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Belfair, Mason County, Washington, United States, near the Hood Canal.
The plant serves a population of 1,791 people in the Belfair area.
The plant uses secondary treatment and discharges treated effluent into the Hood Canal, a marine estuary of Puget Sound.
The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act via an NPDES permit issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology, which sets limits on pollutants to protect water quality.
For small communities in Washington, secondary treatment is standard, often using activated sludge or lagoon systems, with NPDES permits tailored to local water quality standards.
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