Dorchester WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Dorchester, Wisconsin

Dorchester WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Dorchester, Clark County, Wisconsin. It serves a population of 871 and is part of the region's water infrastructure, treating domestic wastewater from the community. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal facilities. With a designed capacity of 484.53 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 378.54 m³/day, the plant operates within its capacity. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body, likely a tributary of the Black River or the Wisconsin River, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality and aquatic ecosystems in the region.

The plant discharges into a local stream that flows into the Black River basin, part of the larger Mississippi River watershed. This region supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as walleye and smallmouth bass. The secondary treatment process reduces nutrient loads, helping to prevent eutrophication in downstream waters and the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.