Madison WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Madison, Nebraska

Madison WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on West 2nd Street in Madison, Nebraska, serving a population of approximately 2,043 residents. The facility operates as part of the city's public infrastructure, providing essential sanitation services to this small Midwestern community. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 908.50 m³/day and an average daily discharge of 757.08 m³/day, the facility operates below its maximum capacity, indicating adequate headroom for current demand. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Elkhorn River, a tributary of the Platte River system. The Platte River flows eastward through Nebraska to join the Missouri River, which is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides critical habitat for migratory birds along the Central Flyway.

The plant's discharge enters a local stream that flows into the Elkhorn River, a key tributary of the Platte River system. The Platte River is a braided, shallow river that supports important riparian ecosystems and provides critical stopover habitat for migratory sandhill cranes and waterfowl. Downstream, the Platte joins the Missouri River, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The watershed is predominantly agricultural, and nutrient management is a key concern for downstream water quality.