Elizabeth Town of Wastewater Treatment Plant, Colorado

The Elizabeth Town of wastewater treatment plant is located in Elizabeth, Elbert County, Colorado, serving a small community of about 1,500 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that significantly reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids before discharge. With a designed capacity of 1,892.70 cubic meters per day and an actual discharge volume of 378.54 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well below its capacity. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged to local waterways that eventually drain into the South Platte River basin, a major tributary of the Platte River system. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agricultural and municipal use downstream. The plant's secondary treatment helps maintain the ecological health of the receiving waters.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the South Platte River basin, which ultimately drains to the Platte River and then the Missouri River. This watershed supports a variety of fish species and provides critical habitat for migratory birds. The region's semi-arid climate makes water quality management especially important for maintaining stream flows and ecosystem health.