LOLO Water and Sewer District - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Lolo, Montana

LOLO Water and Sewer District is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Lolo, Montana, United States. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,813 residents and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is the typical requirement for small communities under the U.S. Clean Water Act. The plant has a designed capacity of 2,044.12 cubic meters per day and currently handles a discharge volume of 757.08 cubic meters per day. As a secondary treatment facility, it uses biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharging treated effluent. The plant is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The treated wastewater is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately flows into the Bitterroot River, a tributary of the Clark Fork River. The Clark Fork River drains into Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River. The plant's operations help protect local water quality and aquatic habitats in the Bitterroot Valley.

The plant discharges into a water body that flows into the Bitterroot River, which joins the Clark Fork River near Missoula. The Clark Fork River is a major tributary of the Columbia River system, ultimately reaching the Pacific Ocean. The Bitterroot Valley supports diverse aquatic life, including trout species, and the river is an important migratory corridor for fish. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality.