Tekoa S_T Facility Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tekoa, Washington

The Tekoa S_T Facility is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Tekoa, Washington, along the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail. It serves a small population of 820 residents in this rural community within Whitman County. The plant operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal facilities discharging to surface waters. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes biodegradable organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 757.08 cubic meters per day and a matching discharge volume, the facility operates at full capacity to meet local wastewater needs. As a small-scale plant, it is subject to state-level NPDES permits issued by the Washington Department of Ecology, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Palouse River, a tributary of the Snake River. The Snake River flows into the Columbia River, which reaches the Pacific Ocean. The plant plays a critical role in protecting downstream aquatic habitats, including spawning grounds for salmon and steelhead trout in the Columbia River basin.

The plant discharges into the Palouse River watershed, which flows into the Snake River and then the Columbia River, the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia River supports diverse aquatic life, including endangered salmon species. Secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollution, safeguarding water quality in this ecologically sensitive river system.