Overview
Tombstone WWTF is a secondary treatment plant serving 1,465 people in Tombstone, Arizona. It discharges 264.98 thousand cubic meters annually within the San Pedro River watershed.
Tombstone Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) serves the historic community of Tombstone in Cochise County, Arizona. With a population served of 1,465, this plant is a small municipal facility in the arid southwestern United States. The plant provides secondary treatment, the minimum standard under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. Its designed capacity is 946.35 thousand cubic meters per year, and current discharge volume is 264.98 thousand cubic meters annually, indicating operational headroom. As a U.S. facility, it operates under an EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent likely discharges to a tributary of the San Pedro River, a vital desert river that flows north from Mexico into Arizona. The San Pedro River supports diverse riparian habitat and is an important migratory bird corridor. The plant's operations are critical for protecting this sensitive arid-land ecosystem from nutrient and pathogen pollution.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters the San Pedro River basin, which drains into the Gila River and ultimately the Colorado River. The San Pedro River is one of the last free-flowing rivers in the Southwest, supporting cottonwood-willow riparian forests and endangered species such as the southwestern willow flycatcher. In this arid climate, maintaining water quality is essential for downstream aquatic life and regional water resources.
Frequently asked questions
Tombstone WWTF is located at 76 North 4th Street in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona, United States.
The plant serves a population of 1,465 people in the Tombstone area.
The plant provides secondary treatment and discharges treated effluent into the San Pedro River watershed, which flows into the Gila River and eventually the Colorado River.
As a U.S. municipal wastewater plant, Tombstone WWTF operates under the Clean Water Act and is regulated by an EPA NPDES permit issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
For small communities in the U.S., secondary treatment is the standard requirement under the Clean Water Act. Some plants may use lagoons or activated sludge processes to meet effluent limits.
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