Loyalton WWTF, Sierra County

Overview

Loyalton WWTF is a secondary treatment plant in Sierra County, California, serving about 1,265 people. It discharges treated wastewater into the local watershed.

Loyalton WWTF is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Sierra County, California, serving a small community of approximately 1,265 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level for inland facilities under the U.S. Clean Water Act. The plant has a designed capacity of 757.08 cubic meters per day and currently discharges an average of 681.37 cubic meters per day. As a small-scale facility, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Sacramento River system and then to the Pacific Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality in this mountainous region of northern California.

Environmental context

The plant discharges into the Middle Fork of the Feather River watershed, part of the larger Sacramento River basin. This region supports diverse aquatic life, including trout and salmon species. The treated effluent must meet state and federal water quality standards to prevent nutrient enrichment and protect cold-water fisheries downstream.

Frequently asked questions

Loyalton WWTF is located on Poole Lane in Sierra County, California, near the town of Loyalton in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains.

The plant serves approximately 1,265 residents in the Loyalton area of Sierra County.

The plant discharges treated effluent into the local watershed, which flows into the Middle Fork of the Feather River and eventually the Sacramento River system.

Loyalton WWTF provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater plants.

The plant operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality in the receiving waters.