WAMIC WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY, Wamic

Overview

WAMIC WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY is a secondary treatment plant serving 100 people in Wamic, Oregon. It discharges 45.43 cubic meters of treated wastewater daily, operating under U.S. EPA and Oregon DEQ regulations.

WAMIC WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on Emigrant Street in Wamic, Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The facility serves a small population of approximately 100 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community in the Pacific Northwest. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 45.42 cubic meters per day and a current discharge volume of 45.43 cubic meters per day, the facility operates near its design capacity. As a U.S. plant, it is subject to the Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, enforced by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Columbia River Basin. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality in the Columbia River system, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation, recreation, and municipal use in the region.

Environmental context

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Columbia River, one of North America's largest river systems. The Columbia River Basin supports critical salmon and steelhead runs, and the plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads that could affect these migratory fish and the broader aquatic ecosystem. The facility's inland location, over 50 km from the coast, means its discharge has no direct marine impact.

Frequently asked questions

The plant is located on Emigrant Street in Wamic, Wasco County, Oregon, United States.

The facility serves approximately 100 residents in the rural community of Wamic, Oregon.

The plant discharges treated effluent into a local waterway that flows into the Columbia River Basin, ultimately reaching the Pacific Ocean.

As a U.S. facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act and is regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), with oversight from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

For small communities, secondary treatment is standard under the Clean Water Act, providing biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids before discharge.