ORDWAY WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ordway, Colorado

ORDWAY WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Ordway, Crowley County, Colorado. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,200 residents, making it a small-scale facility typical of rural communities in the region. It operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which governs wastewater discharges through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level required for most municipal facilities in the US to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. With a design capacity of 567.81 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 378.54 m³/day, the plant operates below its full capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes such as activated sludge or trickling filters. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body, likely a tributary of the Arkansas River, which flows through southeastern Colorado. The plant's location inland, far from coastal areas, means its discharge primarily affects freshwater ecosystems. The Arkansas River basin supports agricultural irrigation and wildlife habitats, making proper wastewater treatment essential for maintaining water quality in this semi-arid region.

ORDWAY WWTP discharges into a receiving water body that is part of the Arkansas River watershed. The Arkansas River flows eastward through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas before joining the Mississippi River. In this semi-arid region, the river supports agricultural irrigation, livestock watering, and aquatic life. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality by reducing organic pollutants and nutrients that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication or oxygen depletion in the river system.