Overview
ATKINS WWTP in Atkins, Iowa, serves approximately 1,500 residents with secondary treatment. The plant discharges 794.94 cubic meters of treated wastewater daily, with a designed capacity of 643.52 cubic meters.
ATKINS WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Atkins, Iowa, a small community in Benton County. Serving a population of around 1,500, the plant provides secondary treatment to meet state and federal water quality standards. As a secondary treatment plant, ATKINS WWTP employs biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's daily discharge volume of 794.94 cubic meters slightly exceeds its designed capacity of 643.52 cubic meters, indicating operational flexibility. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, such facilities must comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which set effluent limits to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from ATKINS WWTP is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Mississippi River basin. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's inland location, over 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall nutrient load in the Mississippi River system, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
Environmental context
ATKINS WWTP discharges into local streams within the Mississippi River basin, which flows southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The receiving waters support freshwater ecosystems including fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Downstream, nutrient enrichment from wastewater and agricultural runoff contributes to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, making effective treatment at inland plants like Atkins critical for regional water quality.
Frequently asked questions
ATKINS WWTP is located on 71st Street in Atkins, Iowa, within Benton County, United States.
ATKINS WWTP serves approximately 1,500 residents in the community of Atkins and surrounding areas.
ATKINS WWTP discharges treated effluent into local waterways that are part of the Mississippi River basin, ultimately flowing to the Gulf of Mexico.
ATKINS WWTP operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
For small communities of about 1,500 people, secondary treatment is standard under the Clean Water Act, using biological processes to reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids before discharge.
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