Burnett SD 1 STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Town of Burnett, Wisconsin

Burnett SD 1 STP (Sanitary District 1 Sewage Treatment Plant) is a municipal wastewater facility located in the Town of Burnett, Dodge County, Wisconsin. The plant serves a small population of 330 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. It is situated near Burnett Ditch Road and operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level required by the U.S. EPA for most municipal wastewater systems. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 143.85 thousand gallons per day and currently discharges an average volume of 87.06 thousand gallons per day, indicating it operates below its design capacity. Treated effluent from the plant is discharged into local drainage channels that flow into the Rock River system, a tributary of the Mississippi River. This waterway supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a larger watershed that ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations are critical for protecting local water quality and downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into the Rock River watershed, which flows southward through Wisconsin and Illinois before joining the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River is a major ecological corridor supporting fish, migratory birds, and diverse habitats. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could contribute to algal blooms in downstream waters, including the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.