CARRIZOZO STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Lincoln County, New Mexico

CARRIZOZO STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Lincoln County, New Mexico, serving a small community of approximately 1,050 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for communities of this size in the United States, ensuring that organic pollutants and suspended solids are significantly reduced before discharge. With a designed capacity of 757.08 cubic meters per day and an average daily flow of 529.96 cubic meters, the plant operates at about 70% capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, it meets the minimum requirements under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater treatment, which mandates secondary treatment for most publicly owned treatment works. The treated effluent is discharged into local receiving waters that ultimately drain into the Rio Grande basin. This water body supports diverse aquatic life and is used for irrigation and recreation downstream. The plant's operation helps protect water quality in the arid New Mexico environment, where water resources are particularly valuable.

The plant discharges into local streams that are part of the Rio Grande watershed, which flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. The receiving waters support a variety of fish and wildlife in a semi-arid region where water is scarce. Protecting these waters from nutrient pollution and pathogens is critical for maintaining ecosystem health and downstream uses such as agriculture and drinking water supply.