Flagg Creek Water Reclamation District - Burr Ridge, Illinois Wastewater Treatment

Flagg Creek Water Reclamation District is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Burr Ridge, Illinois, a suburb southwest of Chicago. The plant serves a population of about 34,692, placing it in the medium-sized agglomeration category. It is part of the regional wastewater infrastructure managed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, plants of this scale are required to meet secondary treatment standards through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. The facility's designed capacity is 1.00 million gallons per day, indicating it is sized to handle the community's wastewater flows. Treatment processes typically include primary sedimentation, biological treatment, and disinfection to protect public health and the environment. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the Des Plaines River watershed, which flows into the Illinois River and ultimately the Mississippi River. This drainage basin supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The facility plays a key role in maintaining water quality in the region's urbanized landscape.

The plant discharges into the Des Plaines River, a tributary of the Illinois River, which flows into the Mississippi River. This watershed drains a heavily urbanized area and supports fish populations such as bass and catfish, as well as migratory birds. The facility's nutrient removal helps reduce algal blooms in downstream waters, including the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.