Alden WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Hardin County, Iowa

Alden WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Hardin County, Iowa, serving the small community of Alden and surrounding areas. With a population served of 855, the plant is classified as a small-scale facility under U.S. EPA guidelines. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the Clean Water Act for most municipal wastewater systems in the United States. Its designed capacity is 416.39 million gallons per year, and it discharges approximately 416.40 million gallons annually, indicating near-full utilization of its capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Iowa River basin, which flows into the Mississippi River and then to the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality and downstream ecosystems from nutrient pollution and pathogens.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Iowa River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico. This region is part of the Mississippi River Basin, which is ecologically significant for its diverse aquatic habitats and its role in the Gulf's hypoxic zone. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and nutrients, supporting downstream water quality.