Overview
Gratiot STP is a secondary treatment plant serving 259 people in Gratiot, Wisconsin. It discharges 60.57 million gallons per year and operates under the US Clean Water Act.
Gratiot STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Gratiot, Wisconsin, a small community in Lafayette County. The plant serves a population of 259 and is part of the region's infrastructure for managing domestic wastewater. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal facilities. With a designed capacity of 132.49 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 60.57 million gallons per year, the plant operates well below its capacity. The US EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program governs the plant's discharge, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent from Gratiot STP is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Mississippi River basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting the region's water resources, particularly the downstream aquatic ecosystems that depend on clean water.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Pecatonica River, which flows into the Rock River and then the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River basin supports diverse aquatic life and is a critical migratory corridor for birds and fish. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically significant watershed.
Frequently asked questions
Gratiot STP is located on Phillips Street in Gratiot, Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States.
The plant serves a population of 259 people in the community of Gratiot.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local tributary that flows into the Pecatonica River, part of the Mississippi River basin.
The plant operates under the US Clean Water Act, which requires NPDES permits for all municipal wastewater discharges to surface waters.
For small communities like Gratiot, secondary treatment is the standard requirement under the Clean Water Act, ensuring removal of organic matter and suspended solids.
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