Moyie Springs S_T FAC Wastewater Treatment Plant, Idaho

Moyie Springs S_T FAC is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Moyie Springs, Idaho, United States. The facility serves a small population of 718 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet Clean Water Act standards. As a small-scale plant, it plays a key role in managing local wastewater in this rural community near the Idaho-Montana border. The plant has a designed capacity of 189.27 megaliters per year and currently discharges 151.42 megaliters annually, indicating it operates below capacity. Under the US EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), plants of this size are typically permitted by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, with requirements for secondary treatment and effluent monitoring to protect water quality. The treated effluent from the plant likely enters a tributary of the Kootenai River, which flows north into British Columbia and eventually drains into the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River system. The Kootenai River supports diverse aquatic life, including native trout and salmon species, making proper treatment essential for downstream ecosystem health.

The plant discharges into the Kootenai River watershed, which flows through Idaho and Montana into British Columbia, Canada, before joining the Columbia River and reaching the Pacific Ocean. This transboundary river system supports important fish populations, including bull trout and white sturgeon, and requires careful management of nutrient and pollutant loads to maintain water quality and aquatic habitat.