Santa Nella WWTF - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Santa Nella, California

Santa Nella WWTF is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Santa Nella, California, a small community in Merced County. The plant serves a population of approximately 655 residents, classifying it as a small-scale facility within the state's wastewater infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. Its designed capacity is 151.42 million gallons per year, with an actual discharge volume of 75.71 million gallons per year, indicating it operates below capacity. The facility is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the California State Water Resources Control Board. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the San Joaquin River and then the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a critical ecological and hydrological hub. The Delta supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for millions of Californians, making the plant's treatment performance important for downstream water quality.

The plant's discharge enters the San Joaquin River basin, which flows into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and eventually San Francisco Bay. The Delta is a vital estuarine ecosystem that supports fish species such as Chinook salmon and Delta smelt. As a secondary treatment facility, Santa Nella WWTF contributes to nutrient and pathogen removal, helping protect this sensitive downstream environment from excessive pollution.