Clifton WWTF - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Clifton, Arizona

Clifton WWTF is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Clifton, Greenlee County, Arizona. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,995 residents, classifying it as a small-scale facility within the state's wastewater infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 662.45 thousand cubic meters per year and an annual discharge volume of 571.60 thousand cubic meters, the facility operates below its capacity. As a U.S. plant, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Gila River watershed, a major tributary of the Colorado River. The facility plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality in this arid region, where water resources are critical for both ecological and human uses.

The Clifton WWTF discharges into a water body within the Gila River basin, which flows into the Colorado River and eventually the Gulf of California. This arid region supports sensitive riparian habitats and is important for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, protecting downstream aquatic life and water quality in a water-scarce environment.