Thompson Falls Town of WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Montana

The Thompson Falls Town of WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Thompson Falls, Montana, United States. Serving a population of 534, this plant is part of the local infrastructure in Sanders County, providing essential wastewater treatment for the community. The plant operates at the secondary treatment level, which is the standard required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater treatment. With a designed capacity of 378.54 megaliters per year and an actual discharge volume of 132.49 megaliters per year, the facility has ample capacity to handle current flows. The plant is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent from the plant is discharged into a local water body, which ultimately drains into the Clark Fork River basin. The Clark Fork River flows into Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River. The plant's operations help protect the water quality of these downstream ecosystems, supporting aquatic life and recreational uses.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Clark Fork River, which flows through western Montana and northern Idaho before entering Lake Pend Oreille. The Clark Fork River basin supports diverse aquatic species, including native trout and salmon. Downstream, the river contributes to the Columbia River system, which is a major ecological and economic resource in the Pacific Northwest. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollutant loads, protecting water quality in this sensitive watershed.