MEDFORD WWTP - Medford, Wisconsin Wastewater Treatment Plant

MEDFORD WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Medford, Taylor County, Wisconsin. Serving a population of 4,421, the plant is part of the region's infrastructure for managing domestic and industrial wastewater. The facility operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges to surface waters. As a small to medium-sized agglomeration, the plant is expected to provide at least secondary treatment, which is the minimum standard for municipal wastewater treatment plants in the U.S. under the Clean Water Act. Typical facilities of this scale employ biological treatment followed by disinfection before discharge. The treated effluent from MEDFORD WWTP is discharged into a receiving water body that ultimately drains into the Lake Michigan watershed. Lake Michigan is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world and supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as lake trout and whitefish. The plant's operations are critical for protecting water quality in the region and preventing nutrient pollution that could lead to algal blooms.

The receiving water body for MEDFORD WWTP is part of the Lake Michigan basin, which drains into Lake Michigan and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The watershed supports a variety of aquatic habitats, including wetlands and streams that are important for fish spawning and migratory birds. Protecting water quality in this basin is essential for maintaining the ecological health of the Great Lakes ecosystem.