Overview
Stevens Pass Sewer District is a secondary treatment plant in Chelan County, Washington, serving 384 people. It discharges treated wastewater into the local watershed, contributing to the region's water quality management.
Stevens Pass Sewer District is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Chelan County, Washington, United States. The facility serves a small population of 384 residents, providing secondary treatment to meet state and federal water quality standards. As a small-scale plant, it plays a key role in managing wastewater from the Stevens Pass area, a mountainous region in the Cascade Range. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 211.98 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 90.85 thousand gallons per day, the facility is operating well within its capacity. The treatment process ensures that effluent meets regulatory limits before being released into the environment. The treated effluent from Stevens Pass Sewer District is discharged into a local water body that eventually drains into the Wenatchee River and then the Columbia River. The Columbia River basin supports diverse aquatic life, including salmon and steelhead, making water quality protection critical. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, safeguarding downstream ecosystems.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Wenatchee River, which flows into the Columbia River, a major waterway in the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia River basin supports a variety of fish species, including endangered salmon runs, and provides habitat for wildlife. The region's mountainous terrain and seasonal snowmelt influence flow patterns, making consistent treatment important for maintaining water quality in this ecologically sensitive area.
Frequently asked questions
Stevens Pass Sewer District is located in Chelan County, Washington, United States, near the Stevens Pass mountain area in the Cascade Range.
The plant serves a small population of 384 residents, typical of a rural mountain community.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local tributary that flows into the Wenatchee River and eventually the Columbia River.
The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which mandates secondary treatment for municipal wastewater and requires NPDES permits issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology.
For small communities like Stevens Pass, secondary treatment is standard, meeting EPA requirements to reduce biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids before discharge.
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