Overview
CALEXICO WWTF serves approximately 15,344 people in Imperial County, California. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which mandates secondary treatment for municipal wastewater.
CALEXICO WWTF is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Imperial County, California, serving a population of about 15,344. The plant is situated in the arid border region near the U.S.-Mexico border, within the Imperial Valley, an agricultural area reliant on irrigation from the Colorado River. As a facility in the United States, CALEXICO WWTF is subject to the Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting. For a plant serving a medium-sized community, secondary treatment is typically required to meet effluent standards. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 million gallons per day, indicating a scale appropriate for its service population. The treated effluent from CALEXICO WWTF likely discharges into local waterways that drain into the Salton Sea, a large saline lake in the Colorado Desert. The Salton Sea is an ecologically sensitive area that supports migratory birds and aquatic life, making proper wastewater treatment crucial for maintaining water quality in this unique inland ecosystem.
Environmental context
The plant's receiving waters ultimately drain into the Salton Sea, a terminal saline lake in the Colorado Desert. The Salton Sea is a critical habitat for migratory waterfowl and supports a unique aquatic ecosystem. Discharges from the plant must meet stringent nutrient and salinity standards to prevent ecological degradation in this sensitive environment.
Frequently asked questions
CALEXICO WWTF is located in Imperial County, California, near the city of Calexico, close to the U.S.-Mexico border.
The plant serves approximately 15,344 people in the Imperial County area.
The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Salton Sea, a terminal saline lake in the Colorado Desert.
As a U.S. facility, CALEXICO WWTF operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to NPDES permitting, which sets effluent limits for pollutants.
Plants of this scale typically provide secondary treatment, which includes biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting EPA secondary treatment standards.
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