Empire WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Clear Creek County, Colorado

Empire WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, serving a population of approximately 1,294 residents. The facility operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal wastewater to protect water quality. The plant has a designed capacity of 378.54 m³/day and a reported discharge volume of 227.13 m³/day, indicating it operates below its design capacity. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant's treated effluent is released into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the South Platte River basin. This river system flows through the Colorado Front Range and supports diverse aquatic habitats, recreational uses, and downstream water supplies. The plant's location in a mountainous region means it must manage cold-weather operations and variable flows from seasonal tourism and snowmelt.

Empire WWTP discharges into the Clear Creek watershed, a tributary of the South Platte River. The South Platte River flows through the Denver metropolitan area and eventually joins the Platte River in Nebraska, which drains into the Missouri River and ultimately the Mississippi River. The watershed supports cold-water fisheries, including trout species, and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting aquatic life and recreational uses in the river system.