Two Buttes WWTF - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Two Buttes, Colorado

Two Buttes WWTF is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Two Buttes, Baca County, Colorado. Serving a small population of 62, the plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level for small communities in the United States under the Clean Water Act. The plant has a designed capacity of 75.71 m³/day and currently discharges 37.85 m³/day of treated effluent. As a US facility, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The treated wastewater is discharged to a local watercourse, likely a tributary of the Arkansas River basin, which ultimately drains to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and support water quality in the semi-arid region of southeastern Colorado.

The plant discharges into a local stream that is part of the Arkansas River watershed, which flows through the Great Plains and eventually into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The region is semi-arid, and water resources are critical for agriculture and wildlife. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loading, supporting aquatic life in the receiving water body.