Lowell STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Lowell, Oregon

Lowell STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 122 South Moss Street in Lowell, Oregon. The plant serves a small community of approximately 1,010 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal discharges to protect water quality. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 2,608.14 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 461.82 cubic meters per day, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a US facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which sets effluent limits and monitoring requirements. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that drains into the Willamette River system, ultimately reaching the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting the aquatic health of the region, supporting fish habitat and recreational uses downstream.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Willamette River, which flows north through Oregon's Willamette Valley before joining the Columbia River. The watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including salmon and steelhead runs, and is an important ecological corridor. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, safeguarding water quality for downstream communities and ecosystems.