BELGRADE STP Wastewater Treatment Plant, Crow River Township, Minnesota

BELGRADE STP is a wastewater treatment plant located in Crow River Township, Stearns County, Minnesota, serving a population of approximately 738 residents. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States, ensuring that pollutants are reduced before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 1264.32 units and currently discharges 461.82 units of treated wastewater. As a facility in the United States, it operates under the Clean Water Act, with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which set limits on effluent quality to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from BELGRADE STP is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Mississippi River basin. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a larger watershed that flows into the Gulf of Mexico, making proper treatment essential for downstream water quality and ecosystem health.

The plant discharges into local streams that feed into the Mississippi River basin, a major waterway draining much of the central United States. The downstream environment includes the Mississippi River, which supports diverse fish and wildlife and provides drinking water for millions. Proper treatment is critical to prevent nutrient pollution that can contribute to hypoxic zones in the Gulf of Mexico.