Overview
Chinook WWTP is a secondary treatment plant in Blaine County, Montana, serving about 1,500 people. It discharges treated wastewater into the local watershed, supporting downstream water quality.
Chinook WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Blaine County, Montana, United States. The plant serves a small population of approximately 1,500 residents, providing essential sanitation services for the rural community. As a secondary treatment plant, it meets the standard requirements under the US Clean Water Act for reducing organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,892.70 megaliters per year and currently treats an average daily flow of 329.33 megaliters per year, indicating it operates well below its capacity. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes such as activated sludge or trickling filters. The plant is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from Chinook WWTP is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Missouri River basin. This region is part of the Northern Great Plains, characterized by semi-arid climate and agricultural land use. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality and aquatic habitats, including those in the Missouri River and its tributaries.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the local watershed, which is part of the larger Missouri River basin. The Missouri River flows eastward to join the Mississippi River, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life, including native fish species such as pallid sturgeon and paddlefish. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could contribute to algal blooms and hypoxia in downstream waters.
Frequently asked questions
Chinook WWTP is located in Blaine County, Montana, United States, serving the rural community of Chinook and surrounding areas.
The plant serves approximately 1,500 people, making it a small-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the local watershed, which drains into the Missouri River basin. The discharge is regulated under the US Clean Water Act via an NPDES permit.
Chinook WWTP provides secondary treatment, which typically involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting federal standards for municipal wastewater.
As a US facility, Chinook WWTP operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to NPDES permit requirements. For small plants like this, secondary treatment is the baseline standard to protect water quality.
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