Batavia STP - Wastewater Treatment Plant Serving Batavia, Illinois

Batavia STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Batavia, Illinois, along the Fox River Trail. It serves a population of approximately 26,045 people, placing it in the medium-agglomeration category for U.S. facilities. The plant is situated inland, about 50 kilometers from Lake Michigan, and discharges into the Fox River watershed. As a U.S. facility, Batavia STP operates under the Clean Water Act and is required to have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. For a plant serving around 26,000 people, secondary treatment is the minimum standard, though many facilities of this size also incorporate nutrient removal to protect downstream water quality. The Fox River flows northward through Kane County and eventually joins the Illinois River, which drains into the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's discharge contributes to the Fox River's flow, which supports diverse aquatic life and recreational uses. Protecting this river from nutrient pollution is critical to preventing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

Batavia STP discharges into the Fox River, a tributary of the Illinois River, which flows into the Mississippi River and reaches the Gulf of Mexico. The Fox River watershed supports diverse fish populations and is used for recreation. Downstream, nutrient loading from wastewater can contribute to algal blooms and hypoxia in the Gulf, making effective treatment important for regional water quality.