NEKOOSA WWTP - Wastewater Treatment in Town of Port Edwards, Wisconsin

NEKOOSA WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in the Town of Port Edwards, Wood County, Wisconsin, United States. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,005 people, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category typical of rural Wisconsin communities. As a US-based facility, NEKOOSA WWTP operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. For plants of this scale, secondary treatment is the standard requirement, ensuring removal of organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Wisconsin River watershed, part of the larger Mississippi River basin. This region supports diverse aquatic life and is important for recreational fishing and water quality in downstream communities.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Wisconsin River, which flows southward to join the Mississippi River near Prairie du Chien. The Wisconsin River watershed supports a variety of fish species including walleye and smallmouth bass, and the river is a key recreational resource for central Wisconsin. Downstream, the Mississippi River carries the combined flows to the Gulf of Mexico, making nutrient management important for preventing hypoxia in the Gulf.