Knight Town of STP Wastewater Treatment Plant, Town of Knight, Wisconsin

Knight Town of STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the Town of Knight, Iron County, Wisconsin. The plant serves a small population of 284 residents and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is typical for small communities in the United States. The facility is situated inland, more than 10 kilometers from the coast, and discharges treated effluent into local waterways. The plant's treatment process is secondary, which involves biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 223.34 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 90.85 million gallons per year, the plant operates well below its capacity. As a US facility, it is subject to the Clean Water Act and likely operates under an NPDES permit issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated wastewater from Knight Town of STP is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately drains into the Lake Superior basin. Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes and supports a diverse aquatic ecosystem, including native fish species and migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pollutant loads, contributing to the protection of downstream water quality in this sensitive freshwater environment.

The plant discharges into a local waterway that flows into the Lake Superior basin, part of the Great Lakes system. Lake Superior is a large, cold-water lake with significant ecological value, supporting species such as lake trout, whitefish, and various migratory birds. The secondary treatment level helps mitigate nutrient pollution, which is critical for preventing algal blooms and maintaining water clarity in this oligotrophic lake.