San Miguel County Placerville Wastewater Treatment Plant, Colorado

San Miguel County Placerville is a planned wastewater treatment facility located in Placerville, Colorado, within San Miguel County. Designed to serve a population of 900, this plant will provide secondary treatment for the community's wastewater needs. As a projected facility, it represents future infrastructure development for the area. The plant will operate with secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 113.56 volume units, it is sized to handle the current population. The facility will be subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, ensuring compliance with federal and state water quality standards. Treated effluent from the plant will be discharged into the San Miguel River watershed, which flows into the Dolores River and eventually the Colorado River. This region is part of the Colorado River Basin, a critical water source for the southwestern United States. The plant's operations will help protect local water quality and downstream ecosystems, including habitats for native fish and wildlife.

The plant will discharge into the San Miguel River, a tributary of the Dolores River, which joins the Colorado River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important resource for agriculture and recreation in the region. The Colorado River Basin is ecologically sensitive, providing habitat for species such as the Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker. Protecting water quality through secondary treatment helps maintain the health of these downstream environments.