Melrose County W and S District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Butte, Montana

Melrose County W and S District is a wastewater treatment plant located in Butte, Montana, serving a small population of 131 residents. The facility operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal plants of this scale. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 30.28 million gallons per day, matching its current discharge volume, indicating full utilization. The treated effluent is released into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Clark Fork River and then the Columbia River system. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a larger basin that flows to the Pacific Ocean. The plant's inland location and small population served reduce its environmental footprint, though secondary treatment is standard for such facilities under EPA NPDES permits.

The plant discharges into the Clark Fork River basin, which flows through Montana and Idaho before joining the Columbia River and reaching the Pacific Ocean. The watershed supports diverse aquatic species, including trout and salmon, and is an important migratory corridor. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect water quality in this sensitive river system.