Holy Cross WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Holy Cross, Iowa

Holy Cross WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Holy Cross, Dubuque County, Iowa. The plant serves a small population of 374 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal wastewater discharges. The plant's designed capacity is 189.27 megaliters, with an annual discharge volume of 151.42 megaliters, indicating moderate utilization. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for small communities in the United States. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. As a facility in Iowa, it is subject to state-level permitting under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent from Holy Cross WWTP is discharged into a local water body that eventually drains into the Mississippi River basin. The Mississippi River is a major ecological corridor supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory birds. The plant's inland location reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the Mississippi River system, which ultimately reaches the Gulf of Mexico.

The plant discharges into a local stream that flows into the Mississippi River, a major North American waterway. The Mississippi River basin supports a wide range of aquatic species and is an important migratory route for birds. Downstream, the river empties into the Gulf of Mexico, where nutrient loading from upstream sources can contribute to hypoxic zones. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants, but nutrient removal may be limited without tertiary processes.