HOUGHTON STL Wastewater Treatment Plant, Houghton, Iowa

HOUGHTON STL is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on 160th Avenue in Houghton, Lee County, Iowa. The plant serves a small community of 127 residents, providing essential sanitation services for this rural area in the Midwestern United States. The plant operates at the secondary treatment level, which is the minimum standard required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater treatment. With a design capacity of 151.42 volume units and a current discharge volume of 37.85 volume units, the facility has ample capacity to accommodate the community's needs. As a small publicly owned treatment works (POTW), it is subject to EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which regulates effluent quality to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from HOUGHTON STL is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Mississippi River basin. The plant plays a vital role in protecting downstream water quality in the Mississippi River system, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for millions of people. Its secondary treatment process ensures that organic pollutants and suspended solids are substantially reduced before discharge.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Mississippi River, one of the world's major river systems. The Mississippi River basin supports a wide range of aquatic species and provides critical habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically significant watershed.