MENOMONIE WWTP - Menomonie, Wisconsin Wastewater Treatment Plant

MENOMONIE WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 947 Riverside Drive in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Serving a population of about 15,952, the plant is part of the city's infrastructure for managing wastewater from residential and commercial sources. As a medium-sized agglomeration, it operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all discharges to surface waters. Facilities of this scale in Wisconsin typically employ secondary treatment, including biological processes such as activated sludge or trickling filters, to meet state and federal effluent standards. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) oversees permitting and compliance, ensuring that discharges protect water quality and aquatic life. Treated effluent from MENOMONIE WWTP is discharged into the Red Cedar River, which flows into the Chippewa River and ultimately the Mississippi River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and is important for recreation and wildlife. The plant plays a key role in maintaining water quality in the Red Cedar River, a designated trout stream in some reaches, and contributes to the overall health of the Mississippi River Basin.

The plant discharges into the Red Cedar River, a tributary of the Chippewa River, which joins the Mississippi River. The Red Cedar River supports a variety of fish species, including smallmouth bass and walleye, and is used for recreational fishing and boating. Downstream, the Chippewa River flows through a region of wetlands and forests, providing habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. The Mississippi River, as a major continental waterway, carries the combined flows to the Gulf of Mexico, where nutrient loading from upstream sources can contribute to hypoxic zones. The plant's discharge is regulated to minimize such impacts.