Overview
Southwest WWTP Dayton serves approximately 13,000 residents in Dayton, Texas. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires NPDES permits for municipal wastewater discharges.
Southwest WWTP Dayton is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Dayton, Liberty County, Texas. The plant serves a population of around 13,000 people, making it a medium-sized agglomeration within the state's wastewater infrastructure. Its location near the Trinity River basin places it within a region that relies on surface water for both ecological health and downstream uses. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, the plant is required to operate under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. For a facility of this scale, secondary treatment is the standard requirement, ensuring that organic matter and suspended solids are reduced to protect water quality. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 million gallons per day, which aligns with the population served. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately flows into the Trinity River and then to Galveston Bay, an ecologically important estuary on the Gulf of Mexico. The Trinity River supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions of Texans. Proper treatment at this plant helps maintain water quality in the river and downstream bay ecosystem.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters a tributary of the Trinity River, which flows approximately 710 miles to Galveston Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The Trinity River basin supports a variety of fish species, including catfish and bass, and provides critical habitat for migratory birds. Galveston Bay is a major estuary that sustains commercial fisheries and oyster reefs. Effective wastewater treatment is essential to prevent nutrient pollution and maintain dissolved oxygen levels in this sensitive coastal ecosystem.
Frequently asked questions
Southwest WWTP Dayton is located on Texas State Highway 146 in Dayton, Liberty County, Texas, United States.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local waterway that flows into the Trinity River, which ultimately reaches Galveston Bay on the Gulf of Mexico.
The plant serves approximately 13,000 residents in the Dayton area.
The plant operates under the Clean Water Act, which requires an NPDES permit for any discharge to surface waters. The permit sets limits on pollutants to protect water quality in the Trinity River basin.
For a plant of this size in Texas, secondary treatment is standard. This involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting EPA requirements for municipal wastewater.
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