HAZEL GREEN STP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Town of Benton, Wisconsin

HAZEL GREEN STP is a wastewater treatment facility located in the Town of Benton, Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. It serves a population of 1,184 residents, providing advanced treatment to protect public health and the environment. The plant operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges. The plant has a designed capacity of 635.95 million gallons per year and currently discharges 295.26 million gallons annually. As an advanced treatment facility, it goes beyond secondary treatment to remove additional nutrients and contaminants, ensuring high-quality effluent. This level of treatment is typical for plants in sensitive watersheds or those subject to stringent state regulations. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that flow into the Mississippi River basin, ultimately reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical for mitigating the hypoxic zone in the Gulf. The surrounding area is primarily agricultural, and the plant plays a key role in maintaining water quality for downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Mississippi River, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River basin is a major agricultural region, and nutrient pollution from wastewater and runoff contributes to the Gulf of Mexico's hypoxic zone. Advanced treatment at HAZEL GREEN STP helps reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads, supporting efforts to protect downstream aquatic life and coastal ecosystems.