Butte des Morts Consol SD STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Town of Vinland, Wisconsin

Butte des Morts Consol SD STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the Town of Vinland, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,020 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges to surface waters. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level that removes at least 85% of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 295.26 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 283.91 million gallons per year, the facility operates near its design capacity. As a plant serving fewer than 10,000 people, it falls under the U.S. EPA's small community wastewater category. The treated effluent is discharged into the Lake Winnebago watershed, which drains into the Fox River and ultimately into Green Bay on Lake Michigan. Lake Winnebago is the largest inland lake in Wisconsin and supports diverse aquatic life, including important recreational fisheries. The plant's proximity to the lake requires careful nutrient management to prevent eutrophication.

The plant discharges into the Lake Winnebago basin, which flows via the Fox River into Green Bay, part of the Lake Michigan ecosystem. Lake Winnebago is a large freshwater lake that supports a variety of fish species and provides habitat for migratory waterfowl. The watershed is ecologically sensitive due to nutrient loading concerns, and the plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants but may not fully address phosphorus and nitrogen that can contribute to algal blooms.