Overview
Mertzon WWTP is a secondary treatment facility serving approximately 780 residents in Mertzon, Texas. It discharges 264.98 thousand cubic meters of treated wastewater annually.
Mertzon WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Mertzon, Texas, a small community in Irion County. The facility serves a population of about 780 people, reflecting its role in managing local domestic wastewater in a rural setting. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal facilities discharging to surface waters. With a designed capacity of 378.54 thousand cubic meters per year and an actual discharge volume of 264.98 thousand cubic meters, the plant operates below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Colorado River basin, which flows southeast through Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality in this arid region, where water resources are critical for agriculture and ecosystems.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Colorado River (Texas), which flows through the Edwards Plateau region and eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional water supply. The secondary treatment process reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping to maintain water quality in a semi-arid environment where dilution capacity is limited.
Frequently asked questions
Mertzon WWTP is located on East Duncan Avenue in Mertzon, Irion County, Texas, United States.
The plant serves approximately 780 residents, making it a small-scale municipal wastewater facility.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local waterway that flows into the Colorado River basin, which ultimately reaches the Gulf of Mexico.
Mertzon WWTP provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater plants discharging to surface waters.
As a municipal plant in the United States, Mertzon WWTP operates under the Clean Water Act, which mandates secondary treatment and requires an NPDES permit issued by the state or EPA to control discharges.
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