Cut Bank Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Glacier County, Montana

Cut Bank Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Glacier County, Montana, United States. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,096 residents, providing secondary treatment to manage domestic wastewater from the surrounding community. Its location in the rural landscape of northern Montana places it within the broader context of the state's water infrastructure. As a secondary treatment facility, Cut Bank Lagoon meets the standard requirements under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which mandates secondary treatment for municipal wastewater plants. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,892.70 cubic meters per day and currently handles an average daily flow of 885.79 cubic meters, indicating operational capacity well within its design limits. This level of treatment effectively reduces organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The treated effluent from Cut Bank Lagoon is discharged into local receiving waters, which ultimately drain into the Missouri River Basin. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important resource for agriculture and recreation in Montana. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality and maintain the ecological health of the region's rivers and streams.

Cut Bank Lagoon discharges into local waterways that are part of the Missouri River Basin, a major watershed in the northern Great Plains. The receiving waters support a variety of fish species and provide habitat for migratory birds. Downstream, the flow contributes to the Missouri River, which eventually reaches the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's secondary treatment helps minimize nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting aquatic ecosystems in this semi-arid region.