Overview
MOTHER LODE WWTF is a secondary treatment plant in Calaveras County, California, serving 133 people with a design capacity of 113.56 m³/day and a discharge volume of 37.85 m³/day.
MOTHER LODE WWTF is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Calaveras County, California, United States. The plant serves a small population of 133 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community within the Sierra Nevada foothills. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater before discharge. It has a designed capacity of 113.56 m³/day and currently discharges 37.85 m³/day, indicating operational capacity well below its design. As a small facility, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the California State Water Resources Control Board, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body, likely a tributary of the Mokelumne or Stanislaus River system, which ultimately flows into the San Joaquin River and then to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. The plant's operations help protect downstream aquatic habitats and water quality in this ecologically sensitive region.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a local stream within the Sierra Nevada watershed, which drains into the San Joaquin River system and eventually the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. This region supports diverse aquatic life, including salmonid species, and the plant's secondary treatment helps minimize nutrient and pollutant loads to these downstream ecosystems.
Frequently asked questions
MOTHER LODE WWTF is located in Calaveras County, California, United States, near Forest Route 6N58 in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
The plant serves a small population of 133 people, typical of a rural community wastewater facility.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local water body, likely a tributary of the Mokelumne or Stanislaus River, which flows to the San Joaquin River and ultimately the San Francisco Bay.
As a U.S. facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is regulated by an NPDES permit issued by the California State Water Resources Control Board, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality.
Small plants in California typically provide secondary treatment as a minimum, which is the standard required by the Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater to reduce organic matter and suspended solids.
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