Cabolleto Land Grant Wastewater Treatment Plant, Moquino, New Mexico

Cabolleto Land Grant is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Moquino, New Mexico, within Cibola County. The facility serves a small population of 98 residents and is situated in a rural inland area of the state. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for most municipal facilities. It has a designed capacity of 11.36 million gallons per day and discharges a similar volume of treated wastewater. As a small-scale plant, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the New Mexico Environment Department. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Rio Grande basin. The Rio Grande flows south through New Mexico and Texas, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and water quality in the arid Southwest region.

The plant discharges into local streams that are part of the Rio Grande watershed. The Rio Grande is a critical water source for agriculture and communities in the arid Southwest, supporting diverse riparian habitats and migratory bird species. Downstream, the river flows into the Gulf of Mexico, where nutrient loading can impact coastal ecosystems. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and protect water quality in this sensitive basin.