FREDERIKA STL Wastewater Treatment Plant, Bremer County, Iowa

FREDERIKA STL is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The facility serves a small community of 188 residents, reflecting its role in managing local domestic wastewater. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 113.56 cubic meters per day and currently processes an average daily flow of 75.71 cubic meters, indicating operational headroom. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, secondary treatment is the minimum standard for municipal plants, and facilities of this scale typically operate under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, ensuring compliance with effluent limits. The treated effluent is discharged to a local water body, ultimately contributing to the Cedar River watershed, which flows into the Iowa River and then the Mississippi River. This downstream connection highlights the plant's role in protecting regional water quality and aquatic habitats in the Mississippi River basin.

The plant discharges into a local stream that is part of the Cedar River watershed, which drains into the Iowa River and eventually the Mississippi River. This region supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as walleye and channel catfish, and the watershed provides important habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loading, mitigating potential impacts on downstream water quality.