Overview
Earlham WWTP is a secondary treatment facility serving approximately 1,450 residents in Earlham, Iowa. The plant discharges 579.17 thousand cubic meters of treated wastewater annually.
Earlham WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Earlham, Iowa, United States. It serves a small community of about 1,450 people, reflecting its role in managing domestic wastewater for this rural town in Madison County. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal facilities. With a designed capacity of 1,324.89 thousand cubic meters per year and an actual discharge volume of 579.17 thousand cubic meters, the plant operates well within its capacity. As a U.S. facility, it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Middle River, a tributary of the Des Moines River, which flows into the Mississippi River. This downstream connection highlights the plant's role in protecting water quality in the Mississippi River Basin, a major ecological and economic resource for the central United States.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters a local stream that feeds into the Middle River, part of the Des Moines River watershed. This basin ultimately drains into the Mississippi River, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions. The region's agricultural landscape means nutrient management is critical to prevent downstream algal blooms and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.
Frequently asked questions
Earlham WWTP is located on Northeast 6th Street in Earlham, Madison County, Iowa, United States.
The plant serves approximately 1,450 residents in the community of Earlham, Iowa.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local waterway that flows into the Middle River, a tributary of the Des Moines River, which ultimately reaches the Mississippi River.
Earlham WWTP provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities.
As a U.S. facility, Earlham WWTP operates under the Clean Water Act and is regulated by an NPDES permit issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, ensuring its discharge meets water quality standards.
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