St. Mary's Glacier WSD - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Clear Creek County, Colorado

St. Mary's Glacier WSD is a wastewater treatment facility located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, serving a small population of 410 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States, and operates under the regulatory framework of the Clean Water Act. The plant has a designed capacity of 37.85 million gallons per day and discharges a similar volume, indicating full utilization. As a secondary treatment facility, it meets the EPA's requirements for removing biodegradable organic matter and suspended solids, protecting water quality in the receiving environment. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the South Platte River basin. This river system supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for downstream communities and agriculture. The plant's location in a mountainous area near St. Mary's Glacier underscores the importance of protecting high-altitude water resources.

The plant discharges into the South Platte River basin, which flows through Colorado and Nebraska before joining the Platte River. This watershed supports a variety of fish species and provides critical habitat for migratory birds. The mountainous terrain and proximity to St. Mary's Glacier make the area ecologically sensitive, requiring careful management of nutrient and sediment loads to protect downstream water quality.