Wildhorse Ranch WWTP | Austin, Texas Advanced Wastewater Treatment

Wildhorse Ranch WWTP is a wastewater treatment facility located in Austin, Texas, United States. It serves a population of approximately 1,400 people, classifying it as a small-scale municipal plant. The plant is situated in Travis County, within the Colorado River basin. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, which go beyond secondary treatment to remove nutrients and other pollutants. With a designed capacity of 5,678.10 megaliters and an annual discharge volume of 567.81 megaliters, the plant operates well below its capacity. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act, with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Colorado River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems and supports water quality in the region.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Colorado River, which flows through central Texas to Matagorda Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The Colorado River supports diverse aquatic life and is an important water source for communities and agriculture. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading, protecting downstream habitats and the Gulf's coastal ecosystem.