Bottle Bay S_T Facility Wastewater Treatment Plant, Broten, Idaho

The Bottle Bay S_T Facility is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on Bottle Bay Road in Broten, Bonner County, Idaho. It serves a small population of 445 residents, reflecting its role as a local-scale treatment facility in a rural area of the Pacific Northwest. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level of biological and chemical processing that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 170.34 million gallons per day and an actual discharge volume of 45.43 million gallons per day, the facility operates well within its capacity. As a US plant, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, which set effluent limits to protect receiving waters. The treated wastewater is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Pend Oreille River and then the Columbia River system, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean. The facility plays a key role in protecting the water quality of Bottle Bay and downstream aquatic habitats, including fisheries and recreational areas in the region.

The Bottle Bay S_T Facility discharges into the Pend Oreille River watershed, which flows into the Columbia River and then the Pacific Ocean. The local environment includes Bottle Bay on Lake Pend Oreille, a large natural lake known for its clear waters and diverse fish populations, including trout and kokanee salmon. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect this sensitive aquatic ecosystem from nutrient pollution and pathogens.