MT AUBURN WWTP - Mount Auburn, Iowa Wastewater Treatment Plant

MT AUBURN WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Mount Auburn, Iowa, United States. The plant serves a small population of 134 residents in this rural community within Benton County. As a secondary treatment facility, it provides biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids from wastewater. The plant has a designed capacity of 75.71 units and discharges a similar volume of treated effluent. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, secondary treatment is the minimum standard for municipal wastewater plants, and facilities of this scale typically operate under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. These permits set effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated wastewater from MT AUBURN WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Mississippi River Basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting local streams and groundwater from untreated sewage, supporting the ecological health of the region's aquatic habitats.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Cedar River, which flows into the Iowa River and then the Mississippi River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides habitat for fish and migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pathogen loads, protecting downstream water quality in the Mississippi River Basin.